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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27105013">Illuminated</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/cym70/pseuds/cym70'>cym70</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Finding Stars in Desolate Skies [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Steven Universe (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Families of Choice, Family, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Pearl Rebellion</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-09 05:01:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>23,607</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27105013</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/cym70/pseuds/cym70</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>There’s only nine of them left. Even if they’re strangers to each other, Dazzle wants them to stay together and learn how to be a family.</p>
<p>Side story to Burn Bright, a collection of fics focused on the projector Pearls as they adjust to their new lives in the rebellion.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Finding Stars in Desolate Skies [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/386605</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Home Theater</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi, welcome to this new set of side stories! They’ll revolve around the nine projector Pearls who were rescued in Chapter 33 of Burn Bright.</p>
<p>When we initially came up with this group (with the exception of Drini, who clawrenceon created beforehand), we didn’t intend to fully flesh them out, just give them some basic personality traits and names so that they could show up in the background every once in a while as needed. …And then that plan went out the window in about ten seconds when we started getting really attached to them! So while, for the most part, these characters won’t be front and center in Burn Bright, they will get their own stories here.</p>
<p>Drini, Ocu, and Screenie belong to clawrenceon, who's very sweet in helping me with notes for them~</p>
<p>And clawrenceon is also providing the wonderful art you’ll see with each chapter as the Pearls are introduced &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div><p>“Do you remember the first day we got here?”</p>
<p>“I do!”</p>
<p>“Mostly.”</p>
<p>“Mm-hm.”</p>
<p>“I remember Edge trying to drown herself in the healing tears.”</p>
<p>“I was unaware I had awakened into a far less terrible reality than the one I previously inhabited.”</p>
<p>“Same.”</p>
<p>“Disc, are you even listening?”</p>
<p>“I always listen to you, Dazzle.”</p>
<p>“Oh, <em>always?</em>”</p>
<p>“Well, <em>I</em> remember it. And I was listening.”</p>
<p>“Thank you, Gesso.”</p>
<p>“Montage does too. I mean, besides the drowning bit.”</p>
<p>“Hey!”</p>
<p>“What is this drowning you keep talking about?”</p>
<p>“Oh, that’s right, Drini wasn’t there!”</p>
<p>“We should tell her all about it then!”</p>
<p>“Would you care to honor us with your words, Lady Gumdrop?”</p>
<p>“I would, but we didn’t get there until the end, Edgy!”</p>
<p>“Oh yeah, what order was it? Dazzle, Gesso…?”</p>
<p>“Then Screenie, then you.”</p>
<p>“And me.”</p>
<p>“So you <em>are</em> listening.”</p>
<p>“And then Ocu who needed hugs!”</p>
<p>“W-Well, you all gave me very good hugs. Anyway, maybe Dazzle should tell the story then?”</p>
<p>“I guess I can give it a try.”</p><hr/>
<p>Something was wrong. Or rather, something was wrong in a very good way.</p>
<p>Dazzle knew it ought to have been impossible for her to be reforming right now, impossible for her to have clear thoughts, but there she was. Alive. Conscious.</p>
<p>She looked around first, at this strange-looking room she had materialized into. Where was this? There were beds, and there were other dissipated gems beside her. Were these the same ones that had been gathered up together to have their gems wiped? Her memory was a little foggy, but they seemed like they might be the right colors.</p>
<p>She looked down at herself then, at the gem on her stomach. Clean, unbroken. Exactly the same as she remembered it, except she shouldn’t be remembering anything, should she? There was no way they would have just let her go.</p>
<p>Was she imagining this then? This whole place?</p>
<p>One of the gems nearby began to glow too, ready to reform, and Dazzle hopped a few steps backward. Maybe this Pearl would know something?</p>
<p>Light coalesced into a silhouette similar to her own, though this Pearl sported soft frizzy ringlets of hair that fell to just above her shoulders. Gesso had barely formed before she was looking quickly all around her, her shoulders hunching in as her confusion only grew at the unfamiliar surroundings.</p>
<p>“Are you alright?” Dazzle asked.</p>
<p>Gesso flinched, eyes darting quickly back to Dazzle. “Wh-Where…?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know, I just got back too.”</p>
<p>Tears began to gather in the other Pearl’s eyes, and she was shivering as she smoothed down her dress, the gem on her knee becoming obscured by the fabric.</p>
<p>“It’s okay. It’s okay, at least we’re together. Here, look.” It was so familiar to call upon her gem, to light the room with her projections, spreading them as wide as she could over the walls from her current position. There was something different about it this time though—none of her preprogrammed displays were there. That didn’t bother her, not in terms of performing, but it did give her pause. Had her gem been wiped after all?</p>
<p>Maybe the wiping was a good thing, if it meant she got to imagine every single projection she showed from now on.</p>
<p>But right now she just wanted Gesso to feel okay, to stop looking so scared. So she recalled the most peaceful scenes she knew, keeping everything moving slowly before them. “Just watch,” she whispered. “Just watch for a while. I don’t know what’s happened, but we’re together. It’s better than before, isn’t it?”</p>
<p>Trembling, the cream-colored Pearl reached out a hand to hold onto Dazzle’s arm. She didn’t say anything, only watched the projections and let herself lean a little closer to Dazzle.</p>
<p>“I’m back! Wait, oh my stars, you’re back too!”</p>
<p>Dazzle and Gesso both jumped as a new voice came from the door behind them. Dazzle yelped and put herself in front of Gesso, trying to shield the terrified Pearl from harm even though she had no idea how. It took her a moment to realize she was still projecting—the images had become rather disjointed but hadn’t disappeared—and she turned it off immediately.</p>
<p>“Wait, no, it’s okay!” The new gem—was she a Pearl?—sat herself down on the floor easily, folding her blue-green-splotched legs to one side. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’ll stay right here.” She was smiling big and happy, and she kept looking around the room like she was hoping more projections would appear. “You can keep going if you want to,” she added. “It was so cool! You’re so cool! I’m really happy you’re here now.”</p>
<p>She had to be imagining this, right? The likelihood of this being real…there was no way, was there? Dazzle didn’t know what to do. It was a nice sort of imaginary world, and she was glad of that, but then what was her reality right now? Had she been shattered? Harvested?</p>
<p>But Gesso felt real, having another Pearl next to her and holding her. That didn’t seem like something you could imagine… And even if she was imaginary, Dazzle didn’t want to treat her that way. She wanted this stranger to smile at her projections, like she’d just barely been starting to before the new gem came in.</p>
<p>“My name is Viri,” the big maybe-a-Pearl gem said, her voice quieting as she continued to watch Dazzle and Gesso. “You’re somewhere safe, I promise. We rescued you. Or, well, White rescued you. That was a couple weeks ago, and we’ve been waiting for you to get back ever since. I don’t know if you’ve heard me talking to you at all, but I’ve been visiting as much as I can.”</p>
<p>“I don’t understand,” Dazzle said, her lips moving slowly.</p>
<p>“Oh, yeah, it’s probably a lot to take in,” Viri agreed. “And I’m sorry I surprised you. Why don’t you ask me whatever questions you have and I’ll answer them?”</p>
<p>“Am I alive?”</p>
<p>She blinked, startled. “Well, um, yes. You’re definitely alive. That’s not really the kind of question I was expecting you to start with though.”</p>
<p>“But we’re not supposed to be,” Dazzle said, confused. Was the illusion just telling her what she wanted to hear? “Our gems got wiped and then…we dissipated, I think, and…”</p>
<p>“Yep, that’s right,” Viri said gently. “Sorry, but White had to wait until you were poofed so that she could rescue everybody all at once. Well, minus Drini, but you know.”</p>
<p>“Who’s White?”</p>
<p>“White Diamond’s Pearl?”</p>
<p>Dazzle couldn’t picture White Diamond’s Pearl. She’d had a lot of Pearls lately, hadn’t she? Everyone liked to gossip about the latest trends at the parties.</p>
<p>“Wh-Where are we?” Gesso whispered, her fingers tightening on Dazzle’s back as she peeked around her cautiously.</p>
<p>“Oh! You’re with the rebellion. Do you know about the rebellion?”</p>
<p>Dazzle had heard whispers here and there, but she didn’t <em>know</em> anything. The rebellion had just seemed like a hopeful imaginary thing. When she glanced behind her, Gesso was shaking her head. “Just a little bit,” Dazzle said.</p>
<p>“That’s okay,” Viri said easily. “I can tell you about it.”</p>
<p>“Okay.”</p>
<p>And Viri told them of the Renegade, of a long ago rebellion called the Crystal Gems, of the new rebellion that had sprung up just recently, and of all the Pearls that had come to call this secret place home. Surely this was too good to be anything but a dream, but the more Dazzle listened, the more she began to hope that it was real after all.</p>
<p>“How about I show you two around?” Viri suggested when she was finished. “That way you can see some of the things I was talking about.”</p>
<p>She wanted to say yes, but…Gesso was still clinging anxiously to her, even if there was a spark of curiosity in her eyes now. And what about the others? Dazzle didn’t know any of her fellow projector Pearls, but right now all they had was each other. She didn’t want to leave them.</p>
<p>“No? I guess it’s kinda sudden, huh? We can wait on the tour.”</p>
<p>Dazzle nodded. “I don’t want to leave them here alone.” The words set a small burning flame alight in her gem, with the exciting danger of <em>I want</em> and saying no to someone.</p>
<p>But there didn’t appear to be any danger in saying it to Viri, because she just smiled warmly and said, “Okay, we can wait for them together.”</p>
<p>“Can I project while we’re waiting?” she asked.</p>
<p>“You can do whatever you want!”</p>
<p>Dazzle smiled, and let her gem light the room in a rainbow of colors.</p><hr/>
<p>They didn’t have long to wait for the next Pearl, and Dazzle was relieved to see another of the gems light up, float into the air, and form into an unfamiliar silhouette. This new Pearl’s gem was on her chest, and she had short curly hair with a cute bow attached to one side. The definition in her puffed sleeves was an oddly intricate detail for a projector Pearl—not that Dazzle had many examples to compare her to.</p>
<p>“What is this place?” she asked. Screenie began looking around the room curiously, light on her feet. “It’s got such nice blank walls for projecting things onto,” she commented, apparently talking to herself as she had yet to acknowledge any of the other Pearls in the room. “There should be a shelf up there. It would look a lot nicer with a shelf.”</p>
<p>“Um, hello,” Dazzle offered.</p>
<p>“Oh my stars, hello!” Screenie rushed over to her, scattering some of the projections as she stopped right in front of Dazzle to give her a hug. “It’s you! And you!” She gave Gesso a big smile over Dazzle’s shoulder. “Where are we?”</p>
<p>“We’re with the rebellion,” Dazzle answered, startled by her sudden proximity. “Viri’s been telling us about it.” She gestured to the big Pearl.</p>
<p>“I’ve never seen a Pearl like you before,” Screenie said, wide-eyed. “Where did you come from?”</p>
<p>Viri laughed. “A place with a lot of different Pearls,” she said. “Can I give you a hug too?”</p>
<p>“Yes, please!”</p>
<p>Viri smiled as Screenie came over to join her and lifted her up off the ground for a hug. “Welcome to the rebellion. I’m sorry we didn’t really get to ask anybody if they wanted to come live here, but we had to rescue you pretty quick.”</p>
<p>She nodded happily. “I’m just really happy I’m still here, wherever here is!”</p>
<p>“Us too,” Gesso said softly, peeking out from behind Dazzle to watch them. “Thank you.”</p>
<p>“Oh, some of your friends are coming back!” Viri said suddenly.</p>
<p>There were two more Pearls glowing now, just slightly staggered in how they lifted up from the bed and began to take on their silhouettes.</p>
<p>The first Pearl to form was Montage, an eye gem with a rather severe expression as she dropped to the floor. She was gray in color, with two braids running along the front of her hair and joining in the back, while the rest hung free at her shoulders. She took a quick look around the room and then quickly backpedaled away from the other Pearl who was forming beside her.</p>
<p>This one was Disc, a blue gem in her thigh, and she had unusual cubed pigtails resting at either side of her head. They bounced a little as she turned back and forth, clearly confused. “I’m alive!”</p>
<p>“You are!” Screenie said happily. “We all are!”</p>
<p>“Oh, okay.” She seemed to mentally take a count of all the formed and unformed Pearls. “…What now?”</p>
<p>“Now we can do lots of things,” she answered eagerly. “Like, um…” Screenie turned to Dazzle, looking for some possibilities.</p>
<p>“We can project whatever we want now!”</p>
<p>“What if I don’t want to project anything?”</p>
<p>“Oh. Well, I guess that’s okay too,” Dazzle said. “Do you…not like projecting?”</p>
<p>“Dunno if I have strong feelings about it either way,” Disc answered with a shrug. “How about you?”</p>
<p>“I love projecting,” she said earnestly, allowing herself to light up the room with images again.</p>
<p>“Oh, good, you’re entertaining.” Montage immediately gained everyone’s attention as she spoke for the first time.</p>
<p>“Excuse me?” Dazzle asked, raising her eyebrows.</p>
<p>“Your projections, I mean.”</p>
<p>“Well…thanks, I think?”</p>
<p>“It wasn’t a compliment, I was just saying,” Montage replied, looking slightly baffled. “You’re an entertainment type projector like I am, not an architecture one.”</p>
<p>Gesso’s hand tightened slightly on Dazzle’s arm. “Does it matter?”</p>
<p>“Architecture ones are always stuck-up.”</p>
<p>“Hey,” Dazzle protested. “I’m sure that’s not true. Besides, isn’t the pink Pearl that was with us an architecture Pearl?” She glanced over at the unformed Pearls. “Or…not this pink one. There were two pinks, right?”</p>
<p>“Oh, you’re talking about Drini!” Viri said. “She’s here with the rebellion too. She’s been waiting for you guys to come back.”</p>
<p>“How could she be waiting?” Montage asked suspiciously. “We were all dissipated.”</p>
<p>“Well, White kinda interrupted Drini being wiped, so she didn’t poof.”</p>
<p>“So she’s been here the whole time?” Dazzle asked earnestly. “Is she okay? Where is she?”</p>
<p>“She’s okay!” Viri said quickly. “She’s a little shy, but she’s been settling in at her own pace, you know? I could go get her if you want me to.”</p>
<p>“Please? We’d really love to have her here.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, of course.” She gave Screenie one more hug before heading for the door. “I’ll be back as soon as I can, promise. You guys will be okay?”</p>
<p>“Considering what we’ve already been through, I think we’ll be fine in an empty room,” Montage muttered.</p>
<p>“We could make some furniture so it’s not so empty,” Screenie suggested cheerfully, moving over in her direction. “You haven’t had a hug yet,” she added. “Do you like hugs?”</p>
<p>“How the fuck would I know?”</p>
<p>She laughed and slung her arms around Montage happily. “Now you’ll know!”</p>
<p>“Hmm…” Montage considered it for a moment, looking between the rest of the group as Viri slipped out of the room. “I guess this is fine. Thanks.”</p>
<p>“Would you like a hug too?” Dazzle asked Disc, who was wandering the room aimlessly.</p>
<p>“Huh?”</p>
<p>“Hugs?”</p>
<p>“Oh!” Her cheeks colored a darker blue. “I-I mean, sure. Yeah.”</p>
<p>Dazzle beckoned her over, and she and Gesso both gave Disc a quick hug. “Welcome back.”</p>
<p>Gesso nodded. “I-I’m glad everyone’s safe…”</p>
<p>“There’s only three of us left, right?” Disc asked, looking over at where the remaining gems were resting. Pink, brown, and black Pearls sat there, none of them making any move to light up. “You think they’re okay?”</p>
<p>“I hope so,” Dazzle said. She could see the worry in Disc’s eyes, and Gesso’s, and she gathered them and the other two together in a small group. “Here, how about we project for a little while until Viri and the others get back?”</p>
<p>“I’m not projecting unless I’m ordered to,” Montage muttered, taking a small step back.</p>
<p>Screenie hung onto her. “That’s okay, I don’t think anybody’s giving us orders right now! We’ll just watch the rainbow Pearl’s projections, since she likes making them.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, it can just be me, that’s totally okay,” Dazzle agreed quickly. “Or you guys can join in if you want? I’ve never projected <em>with</em> someone before, that’d be exciting.”</p>
<p>“I’ll try it,” Screenie volunteered. “Though if I got wiped, I’m not really sure what I can project anymore. But I want to try!”</p>
<p>“I’ll pass,” Gesso whispered.</p>
<p>“Me too,” Disc said. “Maybe later.”</p>
<p>“Just me and you then,” Dazzle said to Screenie with a smile.</p>
<p>“I don’t know if I can do anything as fancy as yours.”</p>
<p>“Oh, I’m not that fancy, I’m just colorful,” she reassured her. “How about I start us off and you can join in whenever you feel ready?”</p>
<p>“Okay!”</p><hr/>
<p>“Why are you by yourself?” Montage asked when Viri came back in. The five of them had been enjoying Dazzle’s projections silently while they waited.</p>
<p>“Sorry,” Viri said apologetically. “I did ask her, but she, um… Well, like I said, she’s pretty shy. I think she just got too nervous to come see all of you.”</p>
<p>Montage clicked her tongue and made a vaguely <em>I told you so</em> gesture.</p>
<p>Gesso clung a little tighter to Dazzle’s arm. “She doesn’t want to meet us?”</p>
<p>“No, no, of course she does!” Viri said, coming over to kneel down beside the group. “Seriously. It’s just a lot of new people for her to talk to all of a sudden.”</p>
<p>“That makes sense,” Gesso said softly.</p>
<p>“She’ll definitely come say hello soon. Besides, maybe it’s better this way? Your other friends aren’t back yet, so this way you can all meet her at once.”</p>
<p>Dazzle still thought it would be nicer if Drini had come along to be with them right now—surely the other three Pearls wouldn’t take that much longer to come back. But she tried to be understanding of the choice anyway. She was nervous too, not just to be with these other Pearls, but to be somewhere so completely, wonderfully new. To be free, if what Viri said was true. That was a lot to take in.</p>
<p>Just as she glanced over at the unformed Pearls again, light began to pour from one of them.</p>
<p>“Oh, the black one’s coming back,” Disc commented, reaching a hand up curiously to intersect with the dark blue-black light emanating from the gem before it faded. “That’s different.”</p>
<p>Dazzle didn’t have time to say anything before there was a new Pearl in front of them, Ocu, who screamed as soon as her eyes focused on her surroundings and curled up into a tiny ball on the floor.</p>
<p>“O-Oh, no, it’s okay!” Dazzle said quickly, hurrying to her side, letting her projections disappear as she moved. “It’s okay, no one’s going to hurt you, I promise. Or—Or are you hurt right now? I didn’t see anything wrong with your gem, but maybe it was on the other side…”</p>
<p>The newly formed Pearl peeked up at her cautiously.</p>
<p>“It’s just us. The other projector Pearls? I know we didn’t really get to talk before, but I hope that we can all be friends from now on and project together.”</p>
<p>Ocu flinched away from her again. “I don’t want to see the shapes,” she whispered.</p>
<p>“We don’t have to project right now,” Gesso said tentatively, giving Dazzle a meaningful look as she nudged gently at Ocu’s shoulder to get her to look up again. “I’m not going to project right now either.”</p>
<p>“Right,” Dazzle said, a little disappointed that so many of her fellow projector Pearls didn’t seem to like using their abilities at all. She supposed it made sense, but it still felt a little lonely to have been the only one who’d liked her old job. Maybe she wasn’t really enough of a rebel after all. Would the rebellion be upset with her if she kept embracing her projections?</p>
<p>“We all get to do whatever we want now,” Disc said. “Supposedly.”</p>
<p>“Not supposedly,” Viri laughed. “Really. You’re free now, and nobody owns you.”</p>
<p>“It’s a <em>rebellion</em>,” Screenie added excitedly, scooting over closer to Ocu. “Isn’t that amazing? I had no idea Pearls could have rebellions.”</p>
<p>“Um…” Ocu’s voice was soft, tentative. “I didn’t know either…”</p>
<p>“Right? It’s so exciting! This is Viri, by the way, she’s really cuddly!”</p>
<p>“Yeah, she’s not scary at all,” Gesso reassured her. “And the eye Pearl is a little scary, but it’s okay. There’s six of us and only one of her.”</p>
<p>Ocu laughed quietly, eyes darting nervously towards Montage.</p>
<p>“How exactly am I scary?” Montage asked irritably.</p>
<p>“Aww, no, you’re not scary!” Viri reassured her, going in for a hug but stopping when Montage flinched back. “It’s just the eye gem, they’re surprising at first because you’re expecting an eye eye, you know? We have another gem here named Cyan and she’s got a gem eye too, so you’re not the only one!”</p>
<p>“I don’t particularly care either way…” She trailed off as one of the other gems lit up. “Oh, another one’s coming back now.”</p>
<p>Gesso quickly turned Ocu away from the light with a hug, while Dazzle moved closer to the floating gem to greet the new arrival.</p>
<p>This Pearl was brown, her gem settling at the top of her back, partially obscured by the slightly curled hair that fell to her shoulders. She was dressed in a simplistic leotard, fairly typical of a projector Pearl.</p>
<p>“Oh!” Gumdrop gasped as she landed daintily on the ground. “What is this place?”</p>
<p>“Hello!” Dazzle greeted her. “This is the rebellion, they rescued all of us after we got wiped.”</p>
<p>“Really?” she asked, amazed. “I’ve never heard of any rebellion, but thank you! Or, um, I guess you aren’t in the rebellion, since you were rescued too, but…” She turned her gaze across the rest of the group, settling on Viri. “You’re the rebellion?”</p>
<p>“Yep! Or one Pearl in it, yes.”</p>
<p>“Thank you so much!” Gumdrop rushed over to her, smiling. “Thank you. I’m so happy to be out of my gem again.”</p>
<p>“You’re welcome, but it’s a different Pearl who did the saving,” Viri said warmly. She opened her arms cautiously. “Would you like a welcome home hug? Though it’s okay if you don’t—”</p>
<p>“Hugs!” Gumdrop exclaimed, interrupting as she suddenly turned her attention to Gesso and Ocu, who were still in an embrace. “I haven’t had hugs in centuries! This rebellion is great!”</p>
<p>“Oh my stars, you’re overdue for one then,” Viri gasped, scooping Gumdrop into an off-the-ground hug. “Welcome home. I promise you can have as many hugs as you want here. As long as you ask first, Crimson says that’s important.”</p>
<p>“Okay!”</p>
<p>Gumdrop only got a few seconds of hugging in before everyone’s attention was drawn once again by the light from the final gem reforming.</p>
<p>“Another person to hug?” she asked curiously, twisting around in Viri’s arms.</p>
<p>The last Pearl was Edge, a pink Pearl with a forehead gem who was wearing a plain leotard not unlike Gumdrop’s, but with a skirt attached at the waist. She took one look around at the room full of gems being hugged and then dropped to the ground rather dramatically to bang her head against the floor. “What is this afterlife and how do I leave?”</p>
<p>“Oh! Oh stars, are you okay?” Viri quickly deposited Gumdrop onto the ground and hurried over to scoop up Edge instead. “Your gem, is it hurt? I’ll put you in the healing tears!”</p>
<p>The rest of the group watched curiously as Viri rushed Edge into the next room and dropped her into the pool of healing tears. Edge stayed at the bottom, her eyes closed.</p>
<p>“Is she okay?” Dazzle called nervously, taking one step out of the room they’d reformed in. “Is she cracked?”</p>
<p>“Um, no, she looks alright!” Viri called back after carefully pushing Edge’s hair aside to get a complete look at her gem. “I think she’s just staying under because she likes the water!”</p>
<p>Edge batted Viri’s hand away from her face.</p>
<p>“Oh, sorry, I won’t touch then.”</p>
<p>“Can I try?” Gumdrop asked, poking her head around the doorframe. “It looks like fun!”</p>
<p>“Try what? The healing tears? Sure, if you want to.”</p>
<p>“Yay!” Gumdrop ran over, jumping in next to Edge with a splash. She grinned when Edge opened her eyes in surprise. “Hi.”</p>
<p>“Me too!” Screenie called, rushing over to Viri and holding out her arms so the bigger gem would pick her up and toss her in like she had with Edge. “Please?”</p>
<p>“Okay!”</p>
<p>There was a significantly bigger splash this time, and the pool began to be rather crowded since it was intended for perhaps a maximum of two gems to sit comfortably. Edge scooted herself to one side, still staring at the others from below the water.</p>
<p>“Here, come on up, it’s okay,” Gumdrop encouraged her, taking one arm and tugging it up gently. “I don’t really know what’s happening yet, but everyone’s really nice.”</p>
<p>Edge tugged her arm back towards her stubbornly.</p>
<p>“Please come out? We can meet everyone together. I just got here too.”</p>
<p>“Come on, up!” Screenie urged Edge, grabbing her other arm. “One, two, three.”</p>
<p>She and Gumdrop pulled at the same time, and Edge reluctantly let them pull her into a sitting position, her hair dripping heavily with the healing tears.</p>
<p>“Perhaps this is the sweet release I was craving all along,” Edge mused, not moving to do anything else once they let go.</p>
<p>“Um, what?”</p>
<p>“The healing tears?” Viri asked, pointing to the water. “Do you feel better?”</p>
<p>“Healing… Ah, the refreshing lure of the light makes sense now.”</p>
<p>“Is—Is she okay?” Dazzle whispered to Viri.</p>
<p>“Maybe she’s tired?”</p>
<p>“Would one of you apparitions grace me with the knowledge of this place?” Edge asked, looking between the gems nearest her.</p>
<p>“Well, um, to start with, we’re not apparitions,” Viri began slowly. “But this is the rebellion. Have you heard of the rebellion at all?”</p>
<p>Her eyes widened. “Indeed. I lacked the opportunity to seek solace in their darkness, but I appreciated it from afar.”</p>
<p>“You wanted to come here?” she asked, brightening.</p>
<p>“I did not dare to imagine that fate would provide such a choice.” Edge smiled. “Though it seems that it has.”</p>
<p>“Yes, definitely!”</p>
<p>“We shall go down in a fiery blaze of glory,” she said proudly.</p>
<p>“Crimson says we’re not allowed to light candles for that exact reason.”</p>
<p>When Edge just gave her a puzzled look, Viri smiled, reaching to give the smaller gem a pat on the head but then redirecting her hand to her shoulder instead when she remembered where her gem was. “I’ll show you what they are later. Welcome home.”</p>
<p>“Home…” Edge murmured thoughtfully.</p>
<p>“So this gets to be home for all of us?” Gumdrop asked, her eyes wide with excitement. “We get to live here?”</p>
<p>“Mm-hm, if you want to live here.”</p>
<p>“I’d love to, it would be a dream come true! Don’t you think so?” she asked Edge.</p>
<p>“It is an unexpected delight in a perilous universe.”</p>
<p>“It <em>is!</em>”</p>
<p>“I remain uncertain as to whether this may all truly be an illusion as you have stated.”</p>
<p>“I don’t know, it feels pretty real to me!”</p>
<p>“Does the pink one make sense to you?” Dazzle whispered to Gesso. “She’s hard for me to follow.”</p>
<p>“Mostly,” Gesso said with a tiny smile. “She’s just having fun with how she talks, I think? I’ve never met anyone like her before.”</p>
<p>“Hmm.” Dazzle was contemplating going to join the three projector Pearls in the pool, in hopes of getting to know the two newest ones better, but the door beyond them slid open before she could.</p>
<p>In an instant, the Pearls behind her scurried to get out of sight, and Montage quickly yanked Dazzle back to join them as well. She blinked in surprise at the gray Pearl, then smiled.</p>
<p>“Thanks.”</p>
<p>Montage shrugged, her attention still focused on the gem that had come in, her body tense with nervousness. Gesso and Ocu were huddled together nearby, looking even more scared than Montage did, and Disc had wedged herself into a corner yet still seemed lost in thought about her circumstances instead of concerned.</p>
<p>In the next room over, Aura entered to find a mess of healing tears splashed on the floor, with Viri and the other three projector Pearls sitting in and around the pool. “These are important, Viri!” she protested, though she was too distracted by the newcomers to sound particularly annoyed about it.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Viri said, turning around to face her. “We’ll roll around in them so they don’t go to waste!”</p>
<p>“Well, I guess that’s better than nothing,” she laughed. “So they’ve—you’ve started coming back?”</p>
<p>“They’re all back!” Viri said excitedly.</p>
<p>Aura glanced around the room, confused. “I thought there were eight?”</p>
<p>“They’re just a little shy,” Screenie said cheerfully. “We’re all back, aside from, what was it? Drini?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, that’s right.” Aura smiled, coming to sit on the edge of the pool with Viri. “Are all of you okay? Why are you in here?”</p>
<p>As Viri started to explain what had happened, Dazzle peeked around to get a look at the newcomer.</p>
<p>“She’s a Pearl, right?” Gesso asked nervously.</p>
<p>“What kind of Pearl?” Montage whispered.</p>
<p>“She’s gold,” Dazzle whispered back. “Kinda fancy.”</p>
<p>“Fancy?” Disc repeated. “How did a rebellion get a fancy Pearl?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know, maybe they just steal lots of Pearls?” Montage suggested.</p>
<p>“Hello,” Aura interrupted their whispering politely after a couple minutes. She didn’t come through the door to look at them, but stopped right outside it. “I won’t hurt you, I promise. I just wanted to check if any of you needed healing tears as well?”</p>
<p>There was a small moment of silence before Dazzle spoke up cautiously. “Um, no, we don’t need to be healed from anything. Unless you think our gems got damaged when they were wiped?”</p>
<p>“I don’t think so,” Aura reassured her. “We checked as best we could when you first got here, and there didn’t seem to be anything wrong. Of course, the scanner Pearl used isn’t meant for projector Pearls specifically. If you feel like there’s anything wrong, please say something and we can take another look.”</p>
<p>“…Nothing feels wrong,” Dazzle said slowly. “Just strange.”</p>
<p>“That’s great.” She paused briefly. “If you’re feeling up to it, I’d love to introduce you to someone you might have some things in common with. She’s not made for it, but she uses projections all the time to talk.”</p>
<p>“To talk?” Gesso repeated, and there was a soft rustle as she gathered Ocu up close to her again to shield her eyes.</p>
<p>“Mm-hm. She’s been looking forward to meeting you. Oh! But not just because of that, she looks forward to meeting anyone new who comes to the rebellion.”</p>
<p>“Viri,” Dazzle called into the next room.</p>
<p>“Yes?”</p>
<p>“We’re really safe here?” she asked. “No one’s going to try and get rid of us again?”</p>
<p>“Not <em>ever</em> again.” Viri’s voice was firm as she slipped past Aura to join them, kneeling down in front of Dazzle and taking her hands gently. “Not me or Aura or anybody else. We just want to welcome you home.”</p>
<p>“Okay,” Dazzle said quietly, pulling her hands back and making Viri’s face fall slightly. “Even if this does turn out to be a dream, you’re a nice dream, at least.”</p>
<p>“I’m not a dream!”</p>
<p>“I’ll go get Silver,” Aura volunteered smoothly, and she was only gone a moment before the door opened again.</p>
<p>Dazzle listened to the footsteps approach, and heard the other Pearls’ reactions before she could catch sight of the next stranger.</p>
<p>“Hello!” Screenie ran over to hug Silver. “Aura said you were a projector Pearl too?”</p>
<p>“<em>No, no, I’m a regular Pearl</em>,” Silver corrected her quickly, smiling as she put enough distance between them to project the words. “<em>I learned how to talk with my projections so that I could communicate with everyone.</em>”</p>
<p>“That’s so lovely! Look, you two, aren’t her projections nice?”</p>
<p>Edge and Gumdrop both nodded, Gumdrop leaning over the side of the immersion pool to get a better look. “I’ve never seen a Pearl who’s not a projector Pearl project…”</p>
<p>“The darkness of my past hides several such instances, but perhaps none that involve inscriptions like these,” Edge said.</p>
<p>“<em>Thanks</em>,” Silver projected. “<em>So are you guys feeling okay?</em>”</p>
<p>“As of yet, this new realm has not inflicted any misery upon me.”</p>
<p>Silver blinked, taking a moment to process her statement. “<em>That’s good then. And there’s more of you somewhere, right?</em>”</p>
<p>“Just through there,” Screenie said helpfully. “Be careful, they’re a little more scared about what’s happening right now.”</p>
<p>“<em>I will be, I promise.</em>” Silver tilted her head. “<em>You three aren’t scared?</em>”</p>
<p>Screenie shook her head. “A little scared, I guess, but it’s all so new and exciting! And I get to meet all these new gems.”</p>
<p>Gumdrop nodded enthusiastically. “I haven’t met anyone in a long time, I’ve been in storage for a few centuries!”</p>
<p>Edge glanced over at her worriedly before answering. “If this is truly the rebellion, I can only presume a more pleasant darkness shall overtake me here. Though I remain skeptical, as the universe has never offered such respite before.”</p>
<p>“<em>I hope you’ll feel safe here too, once you’ve had some time to take it all in</em>,” Silver replied. She gave Screenie another friendly hug before heading over to the doorway to the second room. “<em>Aura, can you ask them if I can go in?</em>”</p>
<p>“Of course.” Aura cleared her throat. “Is it okay if Silver comes in there to talk to you? If she stays out here, I’ll have to speak for her.”</p>
<p>Dazzle looked around at the others. “She can come in,” she said slowly. “You can too.” She still didn’t know what to make of any of this, but everyone seemed kind so far. She hoped that remained true.</p>
<p>“<em>Hi, thanks for letting me in</em>,” Silver projected as she entered.</p>
<p>Dazzle kept her eyes glued to Silver’s projections, fascinated.</p>
<p>Noticing that she was the one at the front of the group, Silver moved to speak to her first, though she made sure to leave plenty of room between them. “<em>It’s really nice to meet all of you. I’m Silver.</em>”</p>
<p>She nodded, not having any name to offer in return.</p>
<p>“<em>I know you probably have a lot of questions, and I’d love to help answer them, if that’s something you want.</em>”</p>
<p>Dazzle hesitated, thinking.</p>
<p>“<em>Or if you don’t want to talk right now, we can show you to your rooms. We made sure to be prepared for when you came back, so that you’d have a place to stay and feel safe.</em>”</p>
<p>“I don’t understand.”</p>
<p>“<em>Which part?</em>”</p>
<p>“Why you’re treating us like…guests?”</p>
<p>“<em>Well, I was aiming more for ‘family’ but it can be ‘guests’ for now. Either way, we’re going to make sure you’re taken care of until you make a decision about what you want to do.</em>”</p>
<p>“What we want to do?”</p>
<p>“<em>Whether you want to stay with the rebellion or not.</em>”</p>
<p>“That’s a choice?”</p>
<p>“<em>Of course.</em>”</p>
<p>Dazzle just looked at her, trying to discern whether any of this was a trick, but Silver seemed genuine. To her surprise, Gesso slipped out from behind her, nervously approaching Silver.</p>
<p>“This really is the rebellion, isn’t it?”</p>
<p>Silver smiled, nodding.</p>
<p>“Definitely,” Viri said. “We all look after each other here, in our own ways. Sil teaches gems how to fight, and I help with that too. And Aura’s sort of half-nurse and half-communications gem.”</p>
<p>“I don’t get called on to be a nurse terribly often so far, thank the stars,” Aura added. “But I’ve been the one watching over you during your recovery.”</p>
<p>“I want to stay,” Gesso whispered, almost as if she wasn’t listening. “I want to stay here.”</p>
<p>“<em>Then welcome home.</em>” Silver stretched out her non-gem hand, waiting patiently for Gesso to approach her. “<em>We’re really happy to have you.</em>”</p>
<p>Tears brimmed in Gesso’s eyes and she stumbled forward to take Silver’s hand, hugging it to her chest tightly. “Thank you for…for being…” She couldn’t seem to get the words out, and she fell silent after a couple attempts, just holding on. “You didn’t make fun of us,” she whispered finally. “And you project too.”</p>
<p>Silver nodded, her eyes sad as she took in the words. “<em>Maybe you can teach me a little more about projecting sometime</em>,” she tried gently.</p>
<p>“Y-You’re so good already…”</p>
<p>“<em>Then we’ll just have some fun together, okay?</em>”</p>
<p>“Okay.” Gesso bit her lip, quickly blinking back her tears. “Thank you,” she added.</p>
<p>“<em>You’re welcome.</em>”</p>
<p>“I want to know more about this place,” Montage declared abruptly. “I’m not agreeing to anything until then.”</p>
<p>“Oh, of course,” Aura said quickly. “I can run and get Crimson’s notes for the introductory presentation, just a minute. Viri, do you want to do it this time, so we don’t overwhelm them with too many visitors?”</p>
<p>“Sure, I’d love to! I think I know it by heart now, since I usually go with the new Pearls to listen.”</p>
<p>As Aura disappeared again, Dazzle began to feel some of her nervousness fade. “You three are a unit,” she said quietly.</p>
<p>“A unit?”</p>
<p>“You all…” Dazzle made a vague gesture with her hands, wishing she could project her thoughts instead. That was easier sometimes. “You really do work together like you were saying. Like ‘family.’”</p>
<p>Viri nodded quickly.</p>
<p>“And we get to be part of that too? Really?”</p>
<p>“<em>Of course you do. You’re free Pearls now, just like us. It’ll take some getting used to, but I promise it’s worth it.</em>”</p>
<p>“Yeah. Yeah, I think that would be nice.”</p>
<p>There was a moment’s pause before they were interrupted by the soft splashing of water from outside, and Dazzle leaned over to see that Edge and Gumdrop were getting out of the immersion pool.</p>
<p>“Must we leave this blissful substance?”</p>
<p>“Aura’s getting something she wants to show everyone, so we should all be together, right?” Gumdrop got out first, then offered Edge her hands.</p>
<p>“Your clarity of thought holds true.” Edge grimaced as she tried to squeeze the liquid out of her clothes, while Gumdrop struggled for a moment to shapeshift it out of her own. She was only partially successful in her efforts, but looked happy about it anyway.</p>
<p>“Here, let me help dry you off.” Gumdrop stepped forward, Edge giving her a look of confusion since there wasn’t anything in her hands. Instead, she just tried to sweep the water droplets off of Edge’s arms with her fingers.</p>
<p>“There’s towels next to you there,” Viri offered, pointing to the small stack beside the pool. “You can use those.”</p>
<p>“Oh!” She smiled, quickly picking one up and marveling at its softness. “Thank you.” Her movements were gentle as she set to work drying Edge off. “This is a lot better, isn’t it?”</p>
<p>“…Thank you.”</p>
<p>“You’re welcome!” Gumdrop hummed softly as she continued to dry the other Pearl off, only pausing a few minutes into her work. “I love your hair,” she said warmly as she carefully wrapped the ends in the towel and squeezed. “It’s so cute and pink!”</p>
<p>“Do you want it?” Edge asked. “I don’t want it. Please take it.”</p>
<p>Gumdrop giggled, shaking her head. “I don’t think I can do that, even if it sounds nice. Besides, then you wouldn’t have any hair left.”</p>
<p>“We could trade.”</p>
<p>“Hmm.” Her smile softened into something a little more serious. “Sorry I can’t help with that.”</p>
<p>“No need for apologies. Some tragedies are beyond repair.”</p>
<p>“Mm. But if we’re free now, maybe we can come up with another way to ‘trade.’” Gumdrop knelt daintily on the floor, then reached up to take Edge’s arm and tug her down firmly to sit in front of her. “I really do think your hair is pretty,” she added. “But you don’t?”</p>
<p>Edge shook her head, a shadow of hurt in her eyes. “My owner liked all the—all this kind of stuff.” She plucked at the dress she was wearing, then pulled hard on the front like she couldn’t decide if she wanted to rip it or hide behind it. “I really hate it,” she said quietly. “I know there’s more important things to worry about, but I really, really just want to be able to change my form into…something. Something that’s less about her.”</p>
<p>“Something that’s more like you,” Gumdrop concluded, smiling. “I get it. Sometimes I think it’d be nice to look different too. Cuter, like all the fancy Pearls I used to see at parties.”</p>
<p>“Perhaps we can venture into a new type of rebellion together?”</p>
<p>“I would be honored.”</p>
<p>Soon, once they’d all dried off as best they could, the eight of them settled down together. The entire group huddled around Dazzle as the center, though she didn’t quite know how she had gotten there. Off to the side, Silver and Aura sat next to Screenie, while Viri stood in front to tell them about the rebellion.</p>
<p>And maybe this really couldn’t be a dream, Dazzle thought, when the warmth of the gems around her was so real.</p><hr/>
<p>“<em>And over here will be your rooms</em>,” Silver explained as they arrived at the end of their short tour. “<em>There’s one for each of you, so you can take your pick.</em>”</p>
<p>“Wh-What? What’s happening?” Gumdrop clung to Edge’s arm tightly, big tears forming in the corners of her eyes. “You’re going to put us away?”</p>
<p>“<em>Put you…?</em>” Silver repeated, confused. “<em>Oh! No, no, nobody’s putting you anywhere. These are your rooms. Nice and big, and you can do whatever you want inside of them to make it feel like home.</em>”</p>
<p>Edge placed a tentative hand on Gumdrop’s shoulder as if to shield her. “So we don’t have to go back into our gems?”</p>
<p>“<em>No, of course not.</em>” Silver stepped forward, giving Gumdrop a friendly nudge. “<em>Nobody gets put away here, okay? We want you out and about so we can get to know you.</em>”</p>
<p>“Really?” Gumdrop sniffled, wiping at her cheeks quickly. “You want to know us?”</p>
<p>“<em>Definitely.</em>”</p>
<p>“Why don’t we all stay together for now?” Dazzle suggested. “It’s…It’s going to take some getting used to, being rebels, so I think it’d be nice if we could all stay close.”</p>
<p>“It’s not like we know each other,” Montage mumbled.</p>
<p>“But we will,” she countered. “I know I’d like that, at least.”</p>
<p>Montage lowered her eye, not answering.</p>
<p>“I’d like to too,” Screenie said earnestly. “It’s more fun to be together.”</p>
<p>The other Pearls all agreed as well, exchanging curious, hopeful looks.</p>
<p>Gumdrop nodded quickly. “Please?” She caught hold of Montage’s arm, squeezing it snugly. “Stay with us?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, sure,” she said quietly.</p>
<p>“Yay!” She brightened, reluctantly letting go of Montage and attaching herself to Edge instead. “We’ll all be together then.”</p>
<p>Silver was smiling as she watched them. “<em>Yeah, you guys are welcome to rearrange yourselves as much as you want. All the rooms are the same size, so you might be a little cramped, but it’ll definitely fit all of you.</em>”</p>
<p>Dazzle nodded seriously. “And that’s allowed?”</p>
<p>“<em>Yeah, of course. We’ll keep the rest of the rooms for you so you can decide what you want long-term later.</em>” She knocked her fist lightly against the wall. “<em>Or if you want it to be all one space, we can just knock the walls in between them down so it’s one big room!</em>”</p>
<p>“Oh!” She blinked, surprised. “I didn’t know you could do that.”</p>
<p>“<em>Well, I’ll have to ask Violet to make sure it won’t bring the building down or whatever, but that’s what me and my girlfriends did!</em>”</p>
<p>“Ah, okay. We, um, wouldn’t want to break your building, so…”</p>
<p>“<em>It’s fine, it’s fine. We’ll wait till you’re sure what you want and then we’ll figure out which walls need to stay or go.</em>” Silver smiled, giving her a friendly pat on the shoulder. “<em>Go get comfortable, okay? We’ll be right down the hall if you need us.</em>”</p>
<p>Dazzle went into the room first, looking around in amazement at just how much space there was. Nothing like the wide open ballrooms that had hosted the parties she’d attended, but much more spacious than the little place she’d always had to return to afterwards. It didn’t feel like a storage room, it just felt like a room. Their room?</p>
<p>And stars, the walls were perfect for projecting. Plenty of space, nothing on them to interrupt the flow of images. She wanted to project now—it didn’t matter what, and it could be <em>anything</em>, she was no longer hindered by requests. Could she do it now? Oh, but it might scare the one Pearl, so maybe she should wait. Later, she would project. After all, Silver had made it sound like they had all the time in the world.</p>
<p>And Silver! A gem who <em>talked</em> through projections, a thought which hadn’t even crossed Dazzle’s mind. She wanted to try that too. Projections had always been her voice in a way, the only way she had to express the ideas that bubbled up inside of her and asked to be shown, even when the creativity in them bordered on dangerous.</p>
<p>Her mind was spinning in a hundred different directions, but she knew with certainty that she and the other seven Pearls here—or eight, counting the one who wasn’t—were free to let their projections be exactly what they wanted them to be now.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A Dazzling Debut</h2></a>
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</div><p>The thing was, Dazzle had spent her whole life projecting. She <em>loved</em> projecting. She loved thinking up new ways to add to her performances, new ways to manipulate the light that sprang forth in a rainbow of color from her gem. She loved those moments when her owner was praised for the creativity of her orders, because really that praise was for Dazzle’s own creativity. Her owner just took the credit, and even if that stung a little sometimes, Dazzle didn’t mind. She got to project more because of it.</p>
<p>But here, with the rebellion, she suddenly felt unsure of herself. She had her freedom, but…she didn’t know what she was meant to do differently now that she did. She liked trying new things, the way so many of the other Pearls were, but she loved the old just as much.</p>
<p>“Crimson,” she said one day, approaching the rebellion’s leader. “Do you have a minute?”</p>
<p>“Sure, what is it, Dazzle?”</p>
<p>“I was wondering…would you like to request a performance for the common room?”</p>
<p>“A what?”</p>
<p>“A…A performance? I could project for everyone, maybe in the evening to help gems relax?” When Crimson still didn’t seem sure what to make of this, she added, “It can be anything you want.”</p>
<p>“Oh, you don’t have to do anything,” she said quickly. “We’re not going to ask you to do anything like that here.”</p>
<p>“Oh.” But what if she <em>wanted</em> to do that here? What if she wanted someone to ask her? Dazzle couldn’t quite push the question past her lips. “Okay. Sorry.”</p>
<p>Crimson was beginning to look concerned as Dazzle took a small step backwards, ready to excuse herself. “It’s okay. I know it takes some time for it to sink in, but you are free now.”</p>
<p>“I know,” she managed in a small voice. “Sorry for asking something weird.”</p>
<p>She turned and hurried back the way she’d come before Crimson could say anything else.</p><hr/>
<p>Dazzle had also been worried at first that none of the other projector Pearls enjoyed their jobs the way she had, but she soon discovered that not to be the case.</p>
<p>“I think projecting’s fun,” Gumdrop reassured her when Dazzle brought up the subject in their room one day. The eight of them had yet to separate into their own spaces, and Dazzle had to admit she preferred it this way. She’d spent so much of the past decades with no one to talk to, no parties to go to where she could entertain gems with her projections and overhear the latest goings-on about Homeworld. And she’d <em>never</em> had other projector Pearls to talk to. You never really needed more than one per occasion—or if by chance you did, the two would be put into different rooms and wouldn’t have any chance to interact.</p>
<p>“You do?” Dazzle asked hopefully.</p>
<p>“Yeah, of course! Though I’m probably out of practice…”</p>
<p>“I’m sure the intricacies of our shared art will return from the darkness in haste,” Edge said comfortingly, patting Gumdrop’s hand where it rested a little too snugly on her elbow. The two seemed inseparable already, even though they’d never met before either. Dazzle was just relieved <em>someone</em> seemed to follow Edge’s odd speech patterns with ease, because she felt like half the words flew over her head most days.</p>
<p>“Aww, thanks, I’ll have to start practicing and see.” Gumdrop tilted her head slightly. “Do you like to project? You haven’t ever mentioned it.”</p>
<p>“I prefer deeper colors, which my own gem is inadequate to provide.” Edge’s cheeks flushed pink as Gumdrop nodded, smiling. “Though if you desire to witness…”</p>
<p>“No, no, not if you don’t like to,” she said quickly. “Not if it doesn’t feel like you. Honestly, I wish I could make mine more colorful like Dazzle’s. They’re so pretty.”</p>
<p>“Thanks,” Dazzle said, touching her gem lightly. “That’s just how they made me though, I don’t think I’d be able to teach you. I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>Gumdrop shook her head, dismissing the concern with a gentle “I know.”</p>
<p>Screenie put a hand on Gumdrop’s shoulder reassuringly. “It’s okay, I’m only able to do so much with my projections too. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying it anyway though.”</p>
<p>Edge nodded. “We would surely find it most refreshing, should you wish to practice in our presence.”</p>
<p>“I would, but I don’t know if that’s okay with the others…” She glanced over to the rest of the group.</p>
<p>“Go for it if you want, I don’t care,” Montage said. “I’m not joining in though.”</p>
<p>Disc nodded. “I don’t really think making them’s that fun, but it’s okay if you do. Dazzle’s projections were nice to watch before, I bet yours would be too.”</p>
<p>Gumdrop brightened. “I’d love to then. But…Ocu?”</p>
<p>The quiet black Pearl started at being addressed, even though Gumdrop’s voice was anything but harsh. “O-Oh. I…I can go somewhere else while you…”</p>
<p>Dazzle had yet to understand why the other Pearl was so terrified by the thought of projections. She’d said once, briefly, that her owner didn’t let her look at her own projections, but that line of thinking seemed to trouble her, so Screenie had quickly chimed in to redirect her to happier, newer subjects.</p>
<p>“You could stay and close your eyes,” Gesso offered tentatively. “I can hold you like before, if that helps.”</p>
<p>Ocu blinked, taken aback, then nodded shyly. “I like being able to stay with all of you,” she murmured.</p>
<p>“We’ll do that then.” Gesso sounded a little more confident as she let Ocu cuddle up to her, the other Pearl’s face tucked against her chest to block out more of the light as she shut her eyes.</p>
<p>“Well, if we have the okay from everyone,” Dazzle said happily. “How about we sit in the middle of the room, Gumdrop? Then we’ll have lots of space.”</p>
<p>“Okay! Can you go first? I want to see yours again.”</p>
<p>“Sure.” Warmth bloomed in Dazzle’s gem as she filled the room with familiar light.</p>
<p>Even if Crimson wasn’t going to ask her to perform, at least she could perform here with these gems who understood her.</p><hr/>
<p>“Can I see them sometime?” White asked one day.</p>
<p>“Huh?” Dazzle asked, startled out of her tellings of the previous day’s events.</p>
<p>“You always get so excited talking about your projections,” White explained. “I was hoping I could see them too. Is that an okay thing to ask?”</p>
<p>“Oh, yes! Yes, of course!” Dazzle willed her cheeks not to flush with her signature rainbow colors. “I just never knew you’d be interested.”</p>
<p>White tilted her head inquisitively. “We’re friends. I want to learn about you and your hobbies and stuff.”</p>
<p>Hobby? The word almost made Dazzle laugh, because she would never have assigned it to something that felt so integral to her being as projecting did. But she was too thrilled by the prospect to argue semantics. “I’d love to show you,” she said earnestly.</p>
<p>“Yeah?” She smiled. “Thanks.”</p>
<p>“You’re welcome!” Dazzle’s head was immediately spinning with a thousand different ideas of what kind of a show she should give White. There were so many <em>options</em> for everything now that no one gave her any preprogrammed themes to work within. What would White enjoy most? What would help her understand how much Dazzle loved this part of herself?</p>
<p>It occurred to her suddenly that White was a Diamond’s Pearl. She forgot sometimes, since she had such an unusual personality, but… White would have seen the best of the best when she was in court. Not the best of <em>projector Pearls</em>, of course, because they’d long ago stopped being used in anything so grand as a Diamond’s court, but she would’ve seen the best of the more modern entertainments. All the technology and skills that had come into fashion, replacing Pearls like Dazzle and the others.</p>
<p>“Dazzle.” White’s voice cut through her thoughts.</p>
<p>“Yeah?” she asked, focusing back on the gem in front of her.</p>
<p>“I think Silver wants us to get started now,” she pointed out, gesturing to the gray gem who’d been calling Pearls out onto the training floor in groups for something called “relays.”</p>
<p>“Oh, right,” Dazzle said, standing up and straightening her translucent skirt. “Um, I’ll get started working on the projections tonight, okay?”</p>
<p>“Working on them? You don’t have to come up with new ones, I can watch the stuff you already came up with. Or is that not a thing you do?”</p>
<p>“No, we do, but…” Dazzle motioned vaguely with her hands. “I want to make a new one. I like making new ones and, well, it’s something I can do as a thank you, you know? For saving everyone.”</p>
<p>“You really don’t have to make a big deal out of it,” White said, looking mildly uncomfortable. “That was ages ago.”</p>
<p>“I know, but it feels right,” Dazzle insisted. And it wasn’t <em>really</em> ages ago, even if it felt that way to a gem as new as White.</p>
<p>“Well, okay.” She smiled, turning to lead the way over to where Silver had pointed them. “I’ll look forward to it.”</p><hr/>
<p>“Hey.” It was late when Gesso came over to sit with Dazzle, most of the other projector Pearls either trying out sleeping again or entertaining themselves quietly.</p>
<p>“Hi,” Dazzle returned softly. “Are you okay?” She worried about Gesso sometimes, with how quiet she was, how she seemed to prefer that no one notice her most of the time. She never projected either, the gem by her knee unused and hidden save for small glimpses when the fabric of her skirt moved.</p>
<p>“I’m okay,” Gesso answered, not meeting her eyes. “You?”</p>
<p>“Me?” Dazzle repeated, confused.</p>
<p>“Are you okay?” she asked more clearly. “You’ve been working on that for a long time. Your gem isn’t tired?”</p>
<p>By “that,” Gesso meant the—currently dimmed—projections that Dazzle had been putting up on the walls and ceiling for the past few nights. She still didn’t feel like she’d practiced enough. She’d made sure to add lots of complex designs to this show, and the colors kept bleeding into each other where they weren’t supposed to.</p>
<p>“I’m okay,” she answered quickly. “I just want to be able to have this ready for White tomorrow like I told her.” In retrospect, maybe she shouldn’t have set herself a deadline, but she couldn’t go back on it now.</p>
<p>“Okay,” Gesso whispered, and her fingers hovered at the edge of the projection’s light nearest her before curling into her skirt. “I’ll let you practice.”</p>
<p>As she made to get up, Dazzle called her name without thinking. “Gesso?”</p>
<p>She froze, eyes flicking up to meet Dazzle’s.</p>
<p>“Are you happy here? With the rebellion?” With us?</p>
<p>Gesso nodded slowly, holding eye contact this time as she smiled. “I do. I hope things can stay…” She looked like she was searching for a word that was floating just out of reach. “I’d like to stay like this with all of you,” she finished softly. “More than anything.”</p>
<p>Dazzle nodded. “Me too. We will, we’ll stay together. We’re all really different, but we’re the same too.”</p>
<p>Somehow, that just seemed to make Gesso’s eyes sadden. “I…” She shook her head quickly, putting on a small smile. “Never mind. You know, I think we’re both getting tired. I’ll leave you to it.”</p>
<p>“…Okay.” She watched as Gesso turned to go, making her way back over to where Montage had closed her eye but didn’t seem relaxed enough to actually be sleeping. <em>Could</em> you sleep when you had a gem for an eye, Dazzle wondered? You couldn’t close it, she didn’t think.</p>
<p>She stared for a moment at the two of them, how Gesso lay down a few feet away but facing the other gem, tugging her skirt over her gem as Montage stirred slightly and said something too quiet for Dazzle to hear. She didn’t catch Gesso’s response either, but she was glad to see the smile that came along with it. Gesso had seemed wary of the gray gem at first, but nowadays they’d started to spend more time together, pairing off within the larger group to talk about the “movies” on Earth that had caught their attention. Movies were a little like projections, from what Dazzle had seen, though they were more methodically, painstakingly produced for one singular performance that you could watch over and over again. Dazzle wasn’t sure how she felt about that, when it seemed yet another way that her own purpose had become irrelevant.</p>
<p>But if Montage and Gesso liked them, Dazzle wanted to understand the appeal, to share that between their new little family. Maybe tomorrow, after she showed White her projections, she would figure out a time for all of them to watch a movie together.</p>
<p>But for now…another hour of practice wouldn’t hurt.</p><hr/>
<p>By the time the next day came, Dazzle was exhausted. She hadn’t slept at all—not that gems needed to, but in retrospect the break would have been nice.</p>
<p>“Morning,” Screenie greeted her brightly as she opened her eyes, and Dazzle shut off the projections she’d been practicing. “Not in the mood for sleeping last night?”</p>
<p>“Not really,” she replied, sitting up and undoing her bun for a moment so she could pin it back into place neatly. “Are you going to training this morning?”</p>
<p>“No, not today. Aura was going to show us all the stuff we can decorate the rooms with, remember?”</p>
<p>“Oh! I’m sorry, I completely forgot.” Dazzle worried her lip. “I told White I’d meet her…”</p>
<p>“Don’t worry about it,” Screenie reassured her. “We’ll go scope it out and bring in a few things, and then you can help us get it all arranged. We’ve got eight rooms to do, we’re not going to finish in one morning.”</p>
<p>“Thanks. I’ll come by as soon as we’re done.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, no rush. Good luck today!”</p>
<p>“Thanks.” She’d need it.</p>
<p>Dazzle met up with White a few minutes later, quickly sitting down in the open spot beside her.</p>
<p>“Good morning.”</p>
<p>“Morning,” White answered with a smile.</p>
<p>“You’re not usually this early,” Dazzle commented.</p>
<p>“Caddy was up early, so she woke me up too.” She didn’t seem at all bothered by that, so Dazzle assumed it must have been a romantic kind of waking up. “You ready for today? Silver made it sound like she’s going to run us ragged.”</p>
<p>“I’ll do my best.” Dazzle wished she’d opted to skip training like the others. She knew White wouldn’t have minded if she did.</p>
<p>“Hey,” White said, tilting her head as she took a closer look at Dazzle. “Are you okay?”</p>
<p>“Huh?” She blinked quickly, trying to bring back some of the energy that had kept her practicing last night. “Yeah, of course, why?”</p>
<p>“You look weird. Or, uh, not weird, that’s not how I should say that. You seem more spacey than usual.”</p>
<p>Dazzle cracked a small smile. “Sorry. I’m just lost in my own head like always.”</p>
<p>“Thinking about projections?”</p>
<p>The reminder sent a tiny zap of worry through her gem. “Yeah. Projections.” She caught White’s gaze and quickly added, “I have them ready for you already. I was just going over them in my head.”</p>
<p>“Okay.”</p>
<p>Dazzle relaxed slightly as Silver began giving instructions and White’s attention moved away from her. But just as she was getting up to start training, a pale hand caught her elbow lightly.</p>
<p>“Let’s skip today.”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“Let’s skip,” White repeated. “You look like you’re going to fall asleep standing up.”</p>
<p>“I-I’m fine!” Dazzle protested. “And Silver—”</p>
<p>“She won’t care. Come on.” White let go of her, clearly giving her the choice of whether to stay or go, but Dazzle soon found herself trailing after White as they headed back to White’s room. She opened the door and let Dazzle go in first, tossing some human clothes off the bed before plopping down and waiting expectantly for Dazzle to sit. She did.</p>
<p>“Is this because I asked you to show me your projections?” White asked bluntly.</p>
<p>Embarrassment rapidly colored Dazzle’s cheeks. “N-No. Or yes, but…I just spent a lot of time practicing, that’s all. I wanted to make sure I got it perfect.”</p>
<p>“It doesn’t have to be perfect. Like I said, it can be one of the ones you do for the others. It doesn’t have to be anything special.”</p>
<p>“Doesn’t it?” Dazzle whispered, almost inaudibly. “You must’ve seen the best of the best when you were serving White Diamond.”</p>
<p>White looked startled for a second before realization dawned on her face. “Oh. No, not really, I never paid that much attention to all that stuff. And I don’t think I saw anything like projections at all.”</p>
<p>“But…”</p>
<p>“We’ll save it for some other time, okay?”</p>
<p>Dazzle could see the silent apology in White’s eyes, and her own guilt welled up inside of her, ashamed to have ruined their plans. “I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>“You don’t have to be.” White patted Dazzle’s bun lightly. “Sorry I didn’t notice it was stressing you out until now.”</p>
<p>She shook her head. “I…I stressed myself out, it wasn’t your fault.” Dazzle hesitated. “Thanks for skipping training with me.”</p>
<p>“No problem,” White said, mouth curving into a small smile. “Next time I’ll try to notice sooner, so we can skip even more practices.”</p>
<p>“White!” she laughed.</p>
<p>“I’m kidding. But I will try to notice. I’m still learning how to pay attention to that kind of thing.”</p>
<p>“I think you’re doing pretty well,” Dazzle said softly.</p>
<p>“Thanks.” White just looked at her for a moment, then reached over to the bedside table to pick up a screen that was sitting there. “I’ve been watching these videos on TubeTube that are supposed to help you relax. Kind of like the Earth version of projections, except they have all sorts of things that they’ve discovered are satisfying to watch. Do you want to see?”</p>
<p>“I… Sure. That sounds nice.” She didn’t want to keep on apologizing over and over, even if she felt bad about not being able to show White her projections today as promised. Honestly, even if she pushed herself, they wouldn’t come out anything like she wanted. Her gem was too tired.</p>
<p>Instead, she let White pull up a video, smiling when the other gem shoved a few more pillows towards her side of the bed so she could be comfortable. It was cozy in White’s room, and having her friend beside her reminded Dazzle that she wasn’t a fancy gem she needed to impress. She was just White.</p>
<p>Maybe, she thought as she let herself rest her head on White’s shoulder, she could put together a projection show that reflected those feelings instead. Tomorrow.</p><hr/>
<p>Dazzle wasn’t sure exactly when she’d fallen asleep, but it must have been pretty quickly since she could hardly remember what they’d watched. As she cracked her eyes open now, finding herself nestled comfortably into a corner of White’s bed, another video continued to run on autoplay. White had fallen asleep too, her head just barely missing a pillow.</p>
<p>Dazzle smiled a little at the peaceful scene, turning her attention back to the screen as she twisted around to lay on her side and face it. “White?” she whispered, unsure if she should wake the other gem. She looked like she was sleeping well though, so Dazzle left her alone. After all, the videos had played this whole time, so surely White wouldn’t be bothered if Dazzle kept watching them.</p>
<p>After some time, she was entranced, her imagination spinning in ways it hadn’t for days as she tried to think of ways to incorporate all these calming images into projections. It would be less tactile, have less weight to it, but surely she would find a way to express that same feeling of being “satisfying.” She really, really wanted to try all the tiny ideas and thoughts clicking together in her mind’s eye.</p>
<p>Dazzle started projecting without even thinking, seeing what she could do, what would look as good as she’d imagined it and what would need adjusting. This. <em>This</em> was what she loved, the experimental stuff that she’d only dared to put snippets of in her projections before.</p>
<p>It was about an hour before White woke up and Dazzle didn’t even notice until there was a soft tap on her arm.</p>
<p>“Morning.”</p>
<p>“Oh, good morning,” she said, blinking quickly to pull herself back to reality.</p>
<p>“Can I watch?” White asked, pointing to the projections still splayed across the ceiling.</p>
<p>Dazzle nodded, feeling her bun loosen slightly as it rubbed against the pillow. “You can watch anytime,” she said softly. “I’m sorry I…”</p>
<p>“It’s okay. Are you feeling better now?”</p>
<p>“Yeah. Yeah, I am. Thanks for letting me stay.”</p>
<p>“Anytime.” White tugged a couple pillows under her head, getting situated to watch Dazzle’s projections. “Thanks for letting me watch.”</p>
<p>She blushed. “I’m just practicing right now.”</p>
<p>“That’s cool too.”</p>
<p>“Thanks.” Dazzle turned her head slightly to look at her. “I’m sorry I treated you differently before. I just got caught up in wanting to impress you. As a friend, I mean.”</p>
<p>“It’s alright.” White’s eyes flicked up to the projections briefly, then back to Dazzle. “Caddy and Sky talk about that kind of thing—gems not being comfortable around them right away because of status. But I think for me, everyone was always so worried about me that they never had much time to feel intimidated by my being a Diamond’s Pearl. But I guess that’s different for all you newer gems.”</p>
<p>“Maybe so.” Dazzle had heard plenty of bits and pieces of what White had been like before, some from White herself and others secondhand. “I’m glad I don’t have to worry about whether you’re safe though,” she said softly. “I think that’d be a lot worse.”</p>
<p>“Thanks,” White replied, giving her a little smile.</p>
<p>“I’ll try not to get intimidated anymore, I promise,” she added. “You’re not really very intimidating anyway, since you’re always so calm.”</p>
<p>She laughed, startled. “Nobody’s ever called me <em>calm</em> before.”</p>
<p>“They haven’t? I really like that about you though. You seem like you’d sit and watch projections with us all day.”</p>
<p>“Well, I would,” she agreed, “but it’s probably irresponsible when you’re tired.”</p>
<p>“Maybe you can come see some of the others’ projections. We’ll take turns so it’s more responsible.”</p>
<p>White smiled, rolling back onto her back so she had a better view of Dazzle’s current projections. “That sounds good to me.”</p><hr/>
<p>“Crimson, could I talk to you?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, of course, Dazzle.”</p>
<p>Dazzle took a deep breath, eyes flicking sideways to White, who’d agreed to accompany her. She felt a little more confident knowing a friend was with her. “I asked you before if you wanted me to perform for you,” she began slowly. “And, um, I realized I was asking the wrong question, so could I try it again?”</p>
<p>Crimson nodded, waiting.</p>
<p>“I really love projecting, even if it is what I was made for. It’s important to me, and I don’t want to give it up. So—So if it’s okay, I’d really love to put on my own performances here for everyone. Can I do that?”</p>
<p>Crimson’s eyes softened. “Of course you can, you don’t need my permission.”</p>
<p>“I wanted to ask anyway.”</p>
<p>She smiled. “Okay. Then the answer is yes.”</p>
<p>“Thank you!”</p>
<p>“And you know that calendar outside my room?”</p>
<p>Dazzle nodded. She’d seen it, though she’d never stopped to take a close look.</p>
<p>“If you ever want to schedule a performance on there to spread the word, feel free.”</p>
<p>“Th-Thank you so much!” Dazzle bowed automatically, then stood up straight again, blushing. “I’m sorry, I’m still working on being more rebellious.”</p>
<p>“That’s alright, we all are,” Crimson reassured her. “And we won’t let anyone give you a hard time about doing what you’re made for, okay? The important thing is that you’re you, not that you’re the most rebellious gem ever.”</p>
<p>“That’s my title anyway,” White deadpanned. “You can’t have it.”</p>
<p>Dazzle laughed breathily. “Okay. Yeah, I’d really like to just be me.”</p>
<p>“Then that’s pretty rebellious all on its own.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Tonal Montage</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello again, I hope you're all having a good holiday! Next up, I'm very happy to introduce Montage, and clawrenceon's lovely artwork for her~</p>
<p>Also now is a good time to say that these stories won't be strictly chronological! This one takes place before/during Dazzle's story.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
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</div><p>“Why are we doing this again?” Montage asked, watching Dazzle and White set up the DVD player Steven had loaned them. Or, more accurately, White was setting it up while Dazzle was examining the Earth-made silver disc with fascination, watching how it caught and reflected the light.</p>
<p>“White said it might be fun for us to see human projections,” Dazzle answered, smiling back at Montage as she always did. Montage wasn’t sure why, when they were still hardly anything more than strangers. “If you’re not interested, you don’t have to stay for the whole thing.”</p>
<p>“I haven’t got anything else to do,” Montage said with a shrug, uncrossing her arms and finding a seat that was still free on the sofa beside Gesso and Ocu. As she sat, the Pearl beside her flinched slightly.</p>
<p>“H-Hi, Montage.”</p>
<p>“Hi.” She didn’t know why Gesso was so jumpy all the time. Montage knew she wasn’t as easy to be around as Dazzle or Screenie or really any of the others, but she didn’t think she’d done anything to make Gesso dislike her. Still, she seemed to all the same, and it was clear she didn’t want to sit together but was too polite to say it.</p>
<p>Montage felt like it would just make things worse if she immediately got up again, so she stayed put and hoped Gesso might calm down over the course of…however long this movie was supposed to be.</p>
<p>“There we go, you can stick the disc in now,” White said to Dazzle, who carefully did as she was told, making sure not to touch anything but the edges. “And play,” she added a few moments later, once a menu came up on the screen. “You guys want the lights off?”</p>
<p>“I’ll get them,” Gumdrop said brightly, hopping up from where she’d been cuddled up to Edge. “Projections always look best in the dark!”</p>
<p>“It is only in the dark where their fleeting beauty can be fully appreciated,” Edge agreed.</p>
<p>Edge, Montage thought, always used twice as many words as she needed to get her point across. But to each their own.</p>
<p>The group quickly quieted down as the movie started up, all of them entranced in their own way by the image that appeared before them. Even Ocu wasn’t completely avoiding looking like she did with projections, instead glancing up nervously every now and then to see what was happening. Montage hadn’t known what to expect from this, but it was…interesting. It might <em>look</em> like a projection, since it was made of light, but it wasn’t anything like them at all. It wasn’t Screenie’s focused image of a single room, nor was it Dazzle’s more abstract and flowing images that she seemed able to produce without thinking, nor was it the elaborate intricacies of the architecture projectors Montage was glad weren’t around anymore. Well, there was Drini, but she seemed to prefer not to be associated with the rest of them, so that was fine.</p>
<p>Instead, this image was a story, with the view jumping between being right up in front of people and far away from them, sometimes moving and sometimes perfectly still. Montage wondered what sort of device it was that created this, that was able to make this seemingly complex compilation of images come together smoothly. She would never have been able to project all this, not without weeks or months of practice, and even then she got the feeling it wouldn’t turn out the same.</p>
<p>“Hey, Montage,” Disc said, poking her to get her attention when she missed the first couple calls of her name. “You want to try some popcorn?” White had brought it along for them.</p>
<p>“Shh,” Montage told her, her eye only straying from the screen for a moment as she accepted the bowl. She stared down at it for a second, trying to decide if eating would really be worth the trouble of shapeshifting. Right now, it felt more like a distraction, so she just nudged Gesso’s arm lightly with the container instead. “You want some?” she asked quietly.</p>
<p>“Oh. Um, no thanks, I’ll just…” She took the bowl quickly and passed it over to Ocu. “Thanks.”</p>
<p>Montage just turned her attention back to the screen. She really should’ve found somewhere else to sit.</p>
<p>She wanted to see more of these movies, she realized before it was even done, and the strangeness of wanting <em>anything</em> made her gem feel weird. She brought her hand up to cover her gem eye, then removed it quickly when she realized it impeded her view of the screen. Gesso glanced over at her when she caught sight of the movement, then looked away.</p>
<p>As the movie ended and the “credits” came up on screen, Gumdrop was already happily gushing about how beautiful the main character’s costumes were. Oddly enough, Edge seemed captivated by them too, though it quickly became clear it was the dark colors worn by some of the other characters that she preferred. The two fell into happy chatter right away, wondering what it would be like to wear those kinds of things themselves.</p>
<p>“Why don’t you quit talking about it and just do it then?” Montage asked. It wasn’t the first time they’d shown interest in human clothes, so it seemed like they should just go to Earth and try some on already.</p>
<p>She must not have said it right though, since it made Edge give her a hurt look, like she’d insulted them instead of encouraged them.</p>
<p>“We’re going to talk about it <em>and</em> do it,” Gumdrop interjected, breaking the tension Montage’s words had threatened to cause. “The talking’s important too, so we know what we want to look for.”</p>
<p>Montage nodded, leaving the subject be.</p>
<p>“We could all go look at clothes together,” Dazzle suggested brightly, and Montage almost laughed at how predictable she was. “Would you like that?”</p>
<p>“It would be a shining beacon to lead the way into the abyss beyond,” Edge said earnestly. “That is, if the idea is perceived as suitable by our dearest friends. I should not wish to cause any discontent.”</p>
<p>“You won’t,” Ocu spoke up shyly. “I’d love to go shopping with you.”</p>
<p>“Me too!” Screenie said.</p>
<p>Edge looked to Disc, Montage, and Gesso, who hadn’t spoken up yet.</p>
<p>“I’ll go,” Montage spoke up, not wanting to offend her again.</p>
<p>“Sure, me too,” Disc added. “Gesso?”</p>
<p>Gesso nodded, a little smile on her face. “That sounds fun.”</p>
<p>Edge and Gumdrop both looked like they could light up the room without any projections at all, and Montage couldn’t help but smile back a tiny bit. They were weird Pearls, but they knew what they wanted. That was more than Montage had.</p>
<p>It was only a minute later, when everyone had fallen back into conversation about what clothes Gumdrop and Edge would look good in, that Montage realized Gesso was staring at her. No fear in her eyes this time, it seemed, just a curiosity that was startled into nervousness when Montage met her eyes.</p>
<p>Gesso smiled slightly, ducking her head to break eye contact and smoothing the skirt of her dress down over her knees. “Today was fun, huh?”</p>
<p>She didn’t know what to make of that.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Montage said slowly. “It was.”</p>
<p>Gesso nodded, still not quite looking at her. “I thought so too.”</p><hr/>
<p>It wasn’t unusual for Montage to run into at least one other projector Pearl when she returned to their room, but she’d never run into Gesso on her own before.</p>
<p>Gesso on her own and clearly waiting for someone with the way she’d been watching the door.</p>
<p>“Dazzle’s going over to White’s,” Montage offered.</p>
<p>“What?” Her eyes went wide, startled. “O-Oh, no, I wasn’t looking for Dazzle. I was looking for you, actually?”</p>
<p>“Me? What for?”</p>
<p>“I, um, thought maybe we could watch another movie.” Gesso held up a case that had been sitting in her lap, waving it nervously in the air. “It’s a different one. White let me borrow it.”</p>
<p>“I don’t get why you’re asking me, but sure. Everybody seemed to like it last time, so I’m sure you can convince them.”</p>
<p>“No, I…” She began to look a little frustrated, which was something Montage hadn’t seen before. “I thought the two of us could watch it together.”</p>
<p>“Why?”</p>
<p>“Why?” Gesso repeated, her voice faltering. “Just because? It seemed like you had a really good time watching the other one, so I thought it might be fun.”</p>
<p>“That’s not what I was asking. I meant why are you trying to spend time with me? I thought you didn’t like me.”</p>
<p>She shrunk in on herself, shoulders hunching as the DVD case was brought back to her lap. “It’s not that. I-I was scared of you at first, because you come across so harsh…”</p>
<p>“I wasn’t trying to be scary,” Montage snapped, biting back any more words that might betray how much that stung. She <em>wasn’t</em> trying to be, but she couldn’t go around acting like Gumdrop, all cheery after centuries of neglect. She didn’t want to be scary either though, not if that put distance between her and this new group she’d become a part of. Why did it seem like everything she said came out wrong?</p>
<p>Gesso’s hands curled around the DVD, her eyes softening a little as she took in Montage’s defensive posture. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “I didn’t mean—”</p>
<p>“It’s fine,” she interrupted, not wanting to dwell on it.</p>
<p>“No, it’s not,” Gesso insisted, straightening up just a little. “Gems used to say mean things to me all the time, and I don’t want to be like them, even by accident. So I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>Montage stared at her, long enough that Gesso started to get uncomfortable again and began fiddling with the hem of her skirt. “It’s fine,” she said finally. “Thanks.”</p>
<p>“Thank you too.” She tapped the case lightly with her short nails. “So, well, I brought this because I thought it might be a good way for us to spend some time together? So we can be friends from now on.”</p>
<p>“Friends?”</p>
<p>“If you want to be.”</p>
<p>“I thought Dazzle said we’re ‘family.’”</p>
<p>“I think we can be both. At least, from what I can tell.” She gazed up at Montage uncertainly. “Can you give me a second chance?”</p>
<p>“If you want,” she mumbled, averting her eye but unable to keep herself from looking with the gem one. Gesso was still looking at her intently, not backing down. “You’re not scared of me anymore?”</p>
<p>She shook her head. “What you said to Edge and Gumdrop about how they should just try wearing new clothes already…I realized you weren’t being mean. You were trying to help them, even if it didn’t come out right.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, well, I haven’t got much practice at being a people pleaser. I’ll probably keep fucking it up.”</p>
<p>“That’s okay.”</p>
<p>Montage gave her a skeptical look.</p>
<p>“I-I mean, okay, maybe it’s not <em>okay</em>, but you’ll learn. And if I’m honest, it’d really help me if I could spend time with someone who’s not so careful with her words all the time. I need to get better at handling a little bit of harshness now that I’m a free Pearl. I don’t want to be scared every time somebody talks to me.”</p>
<p>“So you want to use me,” Montage concluded.</p>
<p>“No!” Gesso’s voice raised slightly above her normal volume, which for her seemed like shouting. “That’s not what I meant either. I want to learn from you. A-As equals, if that’s…possible…” She wilted a little under Montage’s gaze. “I’m sorry, maybe I’m the one who’s saying things wrong.”</p>
<p>“It’s okay, I get it.”</p>
<p>“You do?”</p>
<p>“You want to be family like all the mushy stuff Dazzle says.”</p>
<p>“Well…yes, but I don’t know about <em>mushy.</em> I think it’s nice.”</p>
<p>“It’s both,” Montage said dismissively. “Anyway, I think we’re already family, but we can watch movies together if you want to. Or something else if you were just saying that to get my attention.”</p>
<p>“I wasn’t,” Gesso said, her tense expression slowly relaxing into a smile. “I, um, actually really like watching it too. The humans put so much work into setting up every scene, it’s really impressive.”</p>
<p>Well, she hadn’t expected that. Then again, she hadn’t really been paying attention to Gesso’s reaction to the movie the other day—she’d been far too intrigued watching the actors on screen. “It was,” Montage agreed cautiously. “I want to learn more about how they make them. They’re different from projections.”</p>
<p>The other Pearl nodded eagerly. “Me too. Maybe we can learn about it together?”</p>
<p>“Sure,” she said. And for the first time, she sort of understood why Edge and Gumdrop were so happy to have a shared interest in something. Doing something with <em>all</em> the projector Pearls had its appeal, but this felt oddly affirming, knowing that someone besides her was genuinely interested in this strange new potential hobby. It felt like she was doing something right, starting to become her own person in a way she’d never known how to before she came here.</p><hr/>
<p>“You don’t project,” Montage observed one day, after they’d watched a full three movies in a row and she’d been trying to think of a way to start this conversation the whole time.</p>
<p>Gesso was <em>slightly</em> less jumpy around her these days, but she still jumped at that. She fussed with her skirt for a second, mumbling out a “Y-You don’t either.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, well, I don’t know where Dazzle came from, but nobody ever went around complimenting my projections.”</p>
<p>“Was your owner like Gumdrop’s?” she asked softly. “Putting you in storage a lot?”</p>
<p>“I didn’t have an owner, I was a rental. So yeah, I was in storage plenty.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>“It’s how it is, you don’t need to be sorry about it. Didn’t sound like your life was much better.”</p>
<p>“No, not really…”</p>
<p>“The architecture Pearls pick on you a lot?” Montage asked, curious if that was what she’d meant by being made fun of. She’d taken her share of nasty comments from other projector Pearls, the ones that were made for functional purposes instead of just entertaining at parties…back when there were still parties that wanted them.</p>
<p>“Wh-What?” Gesso stammered, looking scared. “No, I, um… D-Did they do that to you?”</p>
<p>“Every chance they got. Don’t know where they get off, they’re the ones that got replaced first.”</p>
<p>“Yeah…”</p>
<p>She sounded like she might cry, and Montage panicked, quickly changing the subject. “Anyway, forget that, it’s not important. What do you think of this camera?” She pulled a paper advertisement from her gem, smacking it down in front of Gesso with slightly too much force.</p>
<p>“A camera?”</p>
<p>“I thought we could try making a movie.”</p>
<p>“With a camera?”</p>
<p>“<em>Yes</em>, with a camera,” Montage said impatiently. “That’s why I was leading into it with the not-projecting thing.”</p>
<p>“That was a lead in?” Gesso asked, raising her eyebrows.</p>
<p>“Well, it seemed like a decent one until I said it,” she muttered. “So?”</p>
<p>Gesso laughed, still a little tense but picking up the ad to take a look. “I don’t know how you manage to be sweet and not sweet at the same time,” she teased gently. “But how will we get the money for this? I’ll use my allowance to help, but even combined…”</p>
<p>“It’ll take a while,” Montage agreed. “Do you want to though?”</p>
<p>“Yeah. Yeah, I’d like that a lot. It’s okay?”</p>
<p>“I’m the one that asked you, obviously it’s okay.”</p>
<p>“Right.” She laughed again, tracing the price with her finger. “Thank you for asking me.”</p>
<p>It seemed like a weird thank you, especially when Montage had been the one nervous about asking. After all, projector Pearls making a movie on physical media seemed a laughable idea on the surface. But Gesso understood, in her own way, it seemed like. And there was no doubt that she loved movies too.</p>
<p>“Thanks for bribing me with that terrible movie so we’d be friends.”</p>
<p>Gesso did that strange sort of double take she’d started to do lately, where she went from shocked to a sort of unsteady confidence to reply in turn. “You’re easy to bribe.”</p>
<p>“Maybe so.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Homemade Gumdrops</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello! I hope you enjoy this new story, as well as clawrenceon's beautiful art of Gumdrop~</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
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</div><p>Gumdrop felt like she was living in a dream. But maybe that was just how everything felt when you’d been cooped up in your gem for ages.</p>
<p>She had been elated when she was given the space—and the order—to reform after years of waiting. Sitting in her gem wasn’t the worst life for a Pearl, she knew, but it kept eating at her even when she was stuck semi-conscious. Her joy at being released, at being around other gems again, had quickly turned to terror when she realized what was happening.</p>
<p>Why did they need to destroy her? She hadn’t done anything wrong. She hadn’t done anything <em>at all</em> for so long that it felt strange to have a body again. And what of her owner? She must have just handed Gumdrop over like a trinket she didn’t need, because she was nowhere to be seen.</p>
<p>Gumdrop cried when they pushed her towards the machine to have her gem wiped like the blank-faced gray Pearl who’d been ahead of her. They couldn’t get mad at her for feeling things now, at least. She mattered even less to them now that she was about to die.</p>
<p>And then, instead of an even longer eternity in broken pieces, she found herself waking up in a place with big rooms and lots of Pearls, <em>so many Pearls</em>, and nobody tried to put her away.</p>
<p>A beautiful dream.</p>
<p>Gumdrop marveled for the hundredth time at how solid and warm her new family felt. She loved the nuances that made each of them feel different. And she loved that the Pearl in her arms right now felt like a kindred spirit. They both wanted to reinvent themselves, now that they could, now that there was no one telling them what to look like or how to act.</p>
<p>“Gumdrop,” Edge said quietly, careful not to speak over the dialogue from the equally dream-like princess movie that Steven had loaned Gumdrop yesterday.</p>
<p>“Hm?” She tilted her head up to look at the pink Pearl.</p>
<p>Edge looked a bit uncomfortable. “It is with deepest regret,” she began slowly, “that I must request…” She trailed off, one corner of her mouth pulling down as she tried to find the words. “Your embrace is quite welcome but if you could relinquish your powerful hold just slightly…?”</p>
<p>“O-Oh!” She was holding too tight, she realized, cheeks burning with shame as she quickly let go of Edge. “I’m sorry,” she murmured, twisting to face the screen directly again, pulling her knees up to her chest to hug those instead.</p>
<p>“I did not wish you to apologize,” she said hastily. “It’s just…”</p>
<p>“I was making you uncomfortable,” Gumdrop finished sadly. “I’m sorry. I…I haven’t ever gotten to do this before. I’ve been getting it wrong this whole time, haven’t I? With Dazzle and the others too…”</p>
<p>Edge didn’t say anything and, for a moment, Gumdrop was afraid she’d get up and leave her by herself.</p>
<p>But instead, thin arms looped around her from behind, and she could feel the faint warmth of Edge’s breath against her hair.</p>
<p>“Don’t apologize,” she repeated softly. “I certainly can’t profess any greater knowledge on this subject. The universe did not grant any of us the opportunity for such magnificent comforts while we endured our individual darkness, so I’m sure your enthusiasm has only been a source of joy to them as it has been to me.”</p>
<p>“But…”</p>
<p>“I would never suggest an end to such arrangements, only a slight alteration so that my form can withstand prolonged exposure.”</p>
<p>Something about the way she phrased it made Gumdrop smile without thinking. “Really?” she asked hopefully.</p>
<p>“Really.”</p>
<p>“I just need to hold on less tight?”</p>
<p>“A slight release would be most welcome.” Edge was smiling too now; she could hear it.</p>
<p>“I’ll do my best, I promise,” she swore, twisting around to look at Edge. “I haven’t hurt you badly, have I?”</p>
<p>“My discomfort fades in the light of your presence.”</p>
<p>“You’re not answering, so I’m going to get you some healing tears.”</p>
<p>Edge started to protest, but Gumdrop shushed her, going to retrieve the small supply of healing tears they kept in the room in case of emergencies. “It can’t hurt to have them either way.” She dipped her fingers into the liquid and let the excess drip off before lifting her fingertips to the gem on Edge’s forehead. The pink Pearl blushed as her gem was so carefully attended to, and it was only then that Gumdrop realized how forward she was being. She’d never touched anyone’s gem before. Well, maybe Dazzle’s or Screenie’s or Viri’s, when it was kind of unavoidable in a hug, but that was different. She hoped Edge wouldn’t be put off by the lack of boundaries.</p>
<p>She didn’t seem to be, at least, not when she immediately opened her arms to welcome Gumdrop after the tears were put away.</p>
<p>“You’ll tell me when I hold too tight again?” Gumdrop asked nervously as she sat down.</p>
<p>“I will,” she promised.</p>
<p>“Okay.” Gumdrop settled against her once more, her arms coming up to hold onto her in what she tried to be conscious of keeping a softer embrace.</p>
<p>Edge just smiled and hit rewind so they could see the part of the movie they’d missed during their conversation. “Would you like to venture to the other world together soon?” she blurted out all of a sudden.</p>
<p>“To Earth?” Gumdrop asked, surprised. “Of course, I’d love to go. Should we ask the others?”</p>
<p>“…I am always pleased to have their company as well, but perhaps for this first excursion, it might be prudent to test the waters in more intimate company?”</p>
<p>“Oh!” A warm, happy blush rose to her cheeks. “I think that sounds really nice too, going shopping with just us. We’ve been talking about it together so much already, so it’ll be great to start picking things out! I can’t wait to see you in all the stylish black things you’ve been showing me. I bet you’ll be really pretty!”</p>
<p>“As will you, in more royal attire.”</p>
<p>And then it was Edge squeezing a little too tight, and Gumdrop didn’t say a word.</p><hr/>
<p>Gumdrop felt a little self-conscious walking into the mall with Edge, but her gem was thrumming with so much excitement that it couldn’t worry her too much. Edge seemed to feel a bit more out of place, her arms crossed and her hair tugged forward more than usual to hide her gem.</p>
<p>“They don’t mind if Pearls shop here,” Gumdrop reminded her when she started messing with her hair again as they passed through the big doors leading into the building.</p>
<p>“No, I know, Steven was gracious enough to explain their mysterious customs and such…” she murmured.</p>
<p>“Is there something else bothering you then?” she asked, tugging Edge sideways where they could duck behind what appeared to be a large map of the building.</p>
<p>“It has merely been an eternity since I have encountered such large multitudes,” Edge said uncomfortably, glancing over her shoulder. “And they appear to be much more elegantly clothed than myself.”</p>
<p>“Oh, I see,” Gumdrop realized. “We do stand out a little, don’t we? Everyone else has more layers on since it’s cold!” She paused to think for a moment. “It’s okay if you don’t want to answer, but how are you with shapeshifting?”</p>
<p>“I have not attempted such a feat,” she admitted. “It seemed quite difficult during your own practice.”</p>
<p>“Yeah…” Before committing to human shopping, Gumdrop had attempted to copy the pretty outfits in movies by shapeshifting. After all, there were Pearls like Caddy in the rebellion who did it all the time, so surely she could too. But it had turned out much more difficult than she’d expected, and even when she did manage to shift on a simple dress, her gem became exhausted with the effort of keeping it in place. “How about this?” Gumdrop said suddenly, pushing those thoughts aside. “I could go buy you a jacket. A coat, one of those long ones like that human there is wearing!” She pointed to a person who’d just walked in and was unwinding a scarf.</p>
<p>Edge peered at the human curiously. “Will that not deplete our small savings?”</p>
<p>“Oh. Um, I don’t know,” Gumdrop sighed, wishing she’d looked a little further into the pricing of all these beautiful clothes they’d have to choose from.</p>
<p>“I’ll be fine,” Edge reassured her, reaching out to touch her shoulder lightly, a smile finally gracing her face. “Let’s continue with our excursion as planned, and I shall be able to wrap myself in more pleasant garments quite soon. It would not be nearly as agreeable without your company.”</p>
<p>Gumdrop’s gem warmed on her back, and she happily caught Edge’s hand and intertwined their fingers securely. “You’re right, it’ll be much better going together! Let’s go?”</p>
<p>“Let’s.” Edge looked a little bit more comfortable as she let Gumdrop lead the way further in. She looked slightly puzzled as she took in all the tiny food-selling places they’d walked into the center of. “Ah, this must be the ‘food court’ Steven spoke of.”</p>
<p>“I guess so!” Gumdrop twirled in place to get a look at everything, then giggled as Edge bumped into her since their hands were still connected. “Oops, sorry. Come on, I think the rest of the mall is that way.”</p>
<p>She nodded in agreement, following as Gumdrop started off in that direction. Soon they were out of the bustle of the food court and instead found themselves amidst more shops than Gumdrop could have imagined. “Where do we <em>start?</em>” she gasped excitedly.</p>
<p>Edge looked just as stunned as she was as she shook her head. “Such a vast expanse of color,” she murmured. “Can we truly accomplish our task here?”</p>
<p>“Well, we don’t have to go to all of them,” Gumdrop pointed out, “but I don’t know which ones we <em>should</em> be going to…” She looked all around, then moved a little further down the large walkway to see what was ahead. “Oh, look there!” she exclaimed, tugging at Edge’s hand. “Look at all the dresses!”</p>
<p>The shop was selling something called “prom” dresses, according to one of the customers they overheard going in, though Gumdrop had no idea what sort of style or occasion that was. There were dresses in every color she could think of and then some, and in so many different designs. The big princess-y ball gown ones caught her eye the most, and she felt Edge nudge her gently forward.</p>
<p>“It was said they allow the clothes to grace your form before you part with your finite resources, right?” she encouraged her with a smile.</p>
<p>“It’s okay?” she checked. “I mean, they don’t really have anything for you here, I don’t want you to feel left out.”</p>
<p>Edge shook her head, reaching past Gumdrop to gently remove one of the hangers on the rack of dresses and hold it up in front of her. “We shall find another place that suits my needs as well as this one suits yours. How would you like the fit?”</p>
<p>“Oh!” Gumdrop took a step forward so that the dress Edge was holding out was pressed to her. “A little smaller, maybe? I don’t want it to be so big that it’ll slip off, especially the ones without straps.”</p>
<p>“A wise observation,” she agreed, exchanging it for a size smaller. “How’s this?”</p>
<p>“Better, I think!” She sighed happily. “It’ll feel like being a princess, wearing something this fancy.”</p>
<p>“Do you ladies need help with anything?” One of the shop’s employees, who’d been organizing dresses a few racks over, approached the two of them. “I’m happy to answer any questions you have about the dresses.”</p>
<p>Gumdrop’s face went warm and she glanced sideways at Edge, not sure quite how to talk to a human.</p>
<p>“Is this a store that provides, um, ‘fitting rooms’?” she asked uncertainly, clearly equally thrown off by being approached.</p>
<p>“It is,” she answered with a friendly smile, turning to point towards a sign that was hanging on the wall. “They’re right over there, in that back corner. You’re welcome to try on as many things as you like, and you can place the dresses you’re not buying on the rack provided just outside the stalls.”</p>
<p>“You don’t want us to put them back where they came from?” Gumdrop asked curiously.</p>
<p>“What? No, that’s my job,” she laughed, “but thanks for offering.”</p>
<p>“Oh, okay.” She smiled a little. “So…I can try on any of these?”</p>
<p>“Anything you like,” the employee agreed. “Is there a particular style or color you’re looking for?”</p>
<p>“Um, a pink maybe?” Gumdrop asked. “And I like the kind of big ones like this.”</p>
<p>“Sounds good, let me show you a few others.” She turned to Edge. “And what about you? Something complementary?”</p>
<p>“Me?” Edge looked taken aback. “I’m not… Please focus your attentions on Gumdrop’s dress, I don’t require any of these fashions.”</p>
<p>“Oh, alright, no worries. Sorry for the assumption.” She didn’t falter as she led them over to the right. “It’s always good to have a friend’s opinion, isn’t it? Here, there’s a few over here that might be up your alley…Gumdrop, you said?”</p>
<p>“That’s right,” Gumdrop answered, brightening both at being called by her new name and at seeing the array of dresses before her. “These are beautiful!”</p>
<p>“Yeah? I’m glad you like them. Would you like me to stick around, or do you prefer browsing on your own?”</p>
<p>“Oh, hmm, on my own,” she said. “I might be awhile, so I don’t want to keep you from your job.”</p>
<p>“This is my job too,” she pointed out. “But yeah, take your time. Feel free to grab me if you need anything.”</p>
<p>“Thanks.”</p>
<p>“If you’d like to wander freely, I can hold your selections,” Edge said quietly as Gumdrop began pulling out another dress to get a good look at it.</p>
<p>“Oh, you don’t have to do that!” Gumdrop said quickly. It wouldn’t feel right to make Edge follow after her and carry things like Pearls had to do when they were in service. “I’ll just go to the fitting rooms when my arms get too…full.” She stared at the tag that had just flipped around to a position where she could see the number. “Oh my stars,” she whispered, “this is worth three or four times our money <em>combined.</em>”</p>
<p>“It <em>is?</em>” Edge asked, startled. She stared at the tag Gumdrop held out to her. “Their beauty is quite unforgiving, isn’t it?” she murmured, checking the prices on a couple other nearby dresses and finding them equally pricey. “Perhaps another shop might be more compassionate to our meager funds?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I guess this is a fancier one…” She reluctantly set the dress back on the rack with the others. It hurt a little, having thought she could wear something like this and then abruptly realizing she had to wait even longer to think about calling one of these hers. “Should we have waited to go shopping like this?”</p>
<p>She shook her head firmly. “Let us examine the offerings of the other shops before we lose hope. I’m sure we can each find at least one thing to carry us over until such a time we can afford to robe you in these treasures.”</p>
<p>“Thanks, Edgy,” she said gratefully, catching her arm and holding on maybe a little tighter than was normal as they exited the store. “…We?” she realized.</p>
<p>Edge blushed a dark pink. “I would be happy to contribute to such a cause, if you would allow me.”</p>
<p>“I couldn’t ask you to do that! What about your clothes?”</p>
<p>“Well…” She frowned slightly. “I could ask Quinacridone to teach me her methods of acquiring funds so that I may clothe both of us.”</p>
<p>“I’ll ask too then, so we can go shopping together more often,” Gumdrop replied sweetly. “Oh, look! That shop has a big sign with a percent on it. That means it’s a sale, right?”</p>
<p>“I believe so,” Edge agreed, brightening when she saw some of the darker clothes on display near the sign. “Shall we look?”</p>
<p>“Definitely!”</p>
<p>Edge went straight to the plain black V-neck that had caught her eye and Gumdrop followed her, quickly flipping over the tag to check the price before she could get too invested in the shirt.</p>
<p>“It’s only ten dollars!” she declared happily. “Or less? I don’t know if that’s with or without the percent off.”</p>
<p>“Either would be quite agreeable,” Edge said, running her fingers down the sleeves before something else caught her eye and she hurried over to grab it. “This! I wish to reside in these pillars of darkness for eternity!”</p>
<p>Gumdrop giggled happily at Edge’s excitement. “I didn’t know jeans could come in black. I bet they’d look really good on you!”</p>
<p>The almost giddy smile on Edge’s lips only grew, and she quickly pulled out a couple sizes that looked like they were close to what she needed. “I’ll try them on now! Is that alright?”</p>
<p>“Of course! Let’s see…” She looked around the shop. “Oh, over there, I think.”</p>
<p>She nodded, and the two of them made a beeline for the fitting rooms.</p>
<p>“I’m supposed to wait out here, I think,” Gumdrop said, taking a seat on a small bench outside the stalls. “And you come out and look in the big mirror once you’ve put them on?”</p>
<p>“Right, like the shopping excursions in the colorful montages of movies,” Edge agreed. She slipped into the nearest stall and immediately began to tug the pant legs on, not bothering to take off her shoes. When she emerged again, pants fastened over her leotard and her skirt sticking out awkwardly from the waistline, she seemed the most content Gumdrop had ever seen her.</p>
<p>“You look wonderful,” she complimented her, coming over to gently tug the leotard’s skirt out so it wouldn’t be bunched up so tight. It looked a little odd on top of jeans, but that was alright. “How do they feel?” Gumdrop asked.</p>
<p>“Like they have squeezed all other hues from my form,” Edge sighed.</p>
<p>“Um…doesn’t that mean they’re a little too tight?” Gumdrop asked delicately. “You want to be able to wear them a lot without it getting uncomfortable…”</p>
<p>“You make a good point,” she admitted, lifting one leg and bending her knee experimentally. “One of the others might be more attuned to my likeness. One moment.”</p>
<p>Gumdrop smiled as Edge disappeared again, then quickly returned in one of the larger sizes she’d picked up.</p>
<p>“I think I have discovered I prefer this fit,” Edge said, “though the waist isn’t very secure.”</p>
<p>“Hmm…” Gumdrop took a look at where Edge was holding the waistline in place, about half an inch of extra fabric pinched between her fingers. “We could probably find a way to fix it,” she said. “Maybe if you tuck in your skirt? Would that help?”</p>
<p>“Oh! I’ll try.” Edge shoved it in awkwardly, then tugged the pants up to get them back into place. “It does seem to provide some support. Should I try to walk in them?”</p>
<p>“Sure!”</p>
<p>A walk back and forth a couple times along the length of the fitting rooms confirmed that the jeans wouldn’t slip too much now, and Edge quickly pulled her money from her gem and counted out the thirty dollars she’d need to buy them.</p>
<p>“I think you have to take them off again to buy them, Edgy,” Gumdrop reminded her gently.</p>
<p>“Ah, right.” She ducked back into the stall to tug the pants off again, coming out with them folded neatly and hugged to her chest. “I-I’ll go purchase them now?”</p>
<p>“Yeah. Do you want me to come with you?”</p>
<p>“Yes, please.”</p>
<p>They were both nervous approaching the counter—the idea of deciding what they wanted to own was so <em>strange</em>, no matter how many times they’d seen it in movies—but the cashier greeted them like they were the same as any humans that were there shopping.</p>
<p>“Will this be all for you today?”</p>
<p>“Yes, that’s all,” Edge said shyly, already handing over her money.</p>
<p>“Oh, you won’t need that much. This is from the sales rack, right?” He scanned the tag with the little handheld machine that sat on the counter. “Yeah, there we go, just fifteen.”</p>
<p>“Oh!” She brightened, putting one twenty back in her gem and offering the slightly startled cashier the other. “Thank you so much for your generosity, I’ll treasure them for as long as this universe allows me to.”</p>
<p>“Uh, sure, you’re welcome.” He accepted the bill and started getting her change. “Are you interested in joining our rewards program today? We offer 10% off to all our members.”</p>
<p>“10% off of…?” she asked curiously.</p>
<p>“Everything. Would you like me to set up an account for you?”</p>
<p>“Oh,” she breathed. “I would love to, but I should consult with someone first. We’re not yet very experienced in the realm of shopping.”</p>
<p>“No problem. Here, let me put a brochure in your bag, that way you can look it over at your own convenience.”</p>
<p>“Thank you.” Edge bowed slightly as he finished putting together her bag. “I hope to return soon.”</p>
<p>“Thank you too.”</p><hr/>
<p>After leaving the store, they quickly located the nearest bathroom, and Edge put the jeans back on.</p>
<p>“Wait, wait!” Gumdrop laughed as she tried to leave. “You still have the sticker on them.”</p>
<p>Edge blushed, reaching down to pull the long sticker off the front of her leg, then turned in a circle so Gumdrop could inspect her. “Has any more ephemera escaped my notice?”</p>
<p>“No, that’s everything!” She gave Edge a quick hug. “You look really cute. Cool, I mean,” she corrected herself when Edge looked a bit disappointed. “Really cool and dark.”</p>
<p>“Thank you, Gumdrop.” She hadn’t stopped smiling since they’d left the store, and this time it was her who initiated another hug. “For accompanying me today. I hope we’re able to discover something equally fitting for you.”</p>
<p>“I’m sure we will.” Gumdrop smiled into Edge’s shoulder, happy to see how happy this made her.</p>
<p>“In retrospect,” Edge added after a moment, “perhaps we should have browsed the rest of the store before making my purchase.”</p>
<p>“Oh my stars,” Gumdrop giggled, “I didn’t even think about it.”</p>
<p>“Me neither,” she laughed. “I was too enthralled with my discovery.”</p>
<p>“Same here,” she said fondly, reluctantly letting go. “But we can go back and look around some more now.”</p>
<p>“That sounds good,” Edge replied. “Though first we should see what else this miraculous place has to offer us, so we may divide our time accordingly.”</p>
<p>“That’s a great idea!” Gumdrop agreed. “Let’s do that, and we can make our own little map of where we want to go.”</p>
<p>And they really did need a map, Gumdrop realized as they made their way all around the big mall. There were so many things to see, so many things to remember. She knew Edge didn’t like using her projections much, so she made them a little map herself that she could project from the gem at the top of her back for the other Pearl to read. Humans stared at them a bit when they did that, but they just seemed curious.</p>
<p>Edge let Gumdrop pick out their next shop to visit, then led the way back to it, through to a section of formal dresses that were different from the ones they’d seen before but no less beautiful.</p>
<p>“These appear to be much more attainable,” she said encouragingly, pointing out the little signs above the racks.</p>
<p>Gumdrop nodded happily, gazing at the selection for a moment before going to touch one of the soft pink dresses. “They’re beautiful,” she breathed. “Do you really think it’s alright for me to wear one?”</p>
<p>“Of course. If I’m permitted to rebel against my previous design, you are too.”</p>
<p>“Yeah…” Impulsively, she grabbed one of the hangers and started towards the fitting rooms. She needed to see what this would be like. She needed to know she <em>could</em> before she started deciding what clothes she wanted. “Come in with me?” she asked Edge anxiously as her hand fell on the door handle to one of the stalls. “Please?”</p>
<p>And Edge just dipped her head slightly with an understanding smile, making a gentle <em>after you</em> gesture with one hand.</p>
<p>Gumdrop took a deep breath and pushed the door open. The fitting room looked about as she expected, maybe a bit smaller than it appeared in movies and a bit messier with the remnants of previous shoppers’ trying things on. She hung up the dress with the other things as Edge closed the door behind them.</p>
<p>Gumdrop had never had much time to look at herself when she was in service—and neither had her owner, she supposed. Plain brown leotard and plain brown flats, perfectly unobtrusive. She was a projector Pearl, after all. Her projections were what were supposed to be noticed, not her.</p>
<p>Edge, beside her, was such a stark contrast. Not just her pretty pink coloring, but the way she had so confidently decided she wanted to cover it up. Even if it was just a pair of pants, it already made her look so different, one step closer to the outfits she’d admired online. She was smiling still too as she took in her new reflection, running her hands down her thighs like she couldn’t quite believe she was wearing this herself. And then going a little pinker when she noticed Gumdrop looking. “Let me assist you with yours,” she said quickly.</p>
<p>It felt strange watching Edge take the dress off the hanger, unzip it, and then hold it open for Gumdrop to step into. Like she’d wandered into the universe of one of her movies somehow. “Thank you,” she made sure to say as she stepped into the fabric and threaded her arms through the little cap sleeves.</p>
<p>“You’re welcome.” Edge helped her pull the dress up over her leotard, pausing for a moment to let her adjust the top before she began to zip the dress back up. “There.”</p>
<p>Gumdrop had still been marveling about how it looked to have another color against her skin, how much prettier it felt to have something new that didn’t just blend in. Now, realizing she was fully <em>wearing</em> the dress, she raised her eyes to the mirror. “Oh my stars,” she breathed, hands jumping to cover her mouth. “Oh.”</p>
<p>It was so pretty. <em>She</em> was so pretty, and she’d never known how that felt before.</p>
<p>Tears welled up in her eyes, making her vision go blurry though she refused to look away from the mirror. “I love it,” she whispered. “I-I want to wear things like this.”</p>
<p>“You can,” Edge said, hugging her gently from the side. “Always, from now on, if that’s what you desire.”</p>
<p>Gumdrop nodded quickly, trying not to cry on the dress. She reached around behind her to pull out the tissue box she’d accidentally left in her gem the other day after she and Edge had both gotten teary-eyed over a movie. “Always,” she repeated as she wiped her tears from her cheeks, only for them to be replaced by more.</p>
<p>“I have never seen anyone more radiant,” she said softly.</p>
<p>Gumdrop gasped out a small sob and immediately twisted to hug Edge properly, burying her face against the other Pearl’s shoulder. “Thank you,” she cried. “I’m so glad I get to be here with you. And with everyone. I’m so happy.”</p>
<p>“As am I, to be able to share this new life with you.”</p>
<p>“Thank you,” she whispered again, and curled her arms even tighter around Edge.</p>
<p>The two of them stayed like that for a long time, Gumdrop overwhelmed by the feel of the silky fabric and of Edge holding her combined. When her tears finally began to slow, she tilted her head to look up at Edge.</p>
<p>“I think I have to buy this dress now,” she laughed happily. “We’re not very good at the shopping part of shopping, are we?”</p>
<p>“I’m sure we’ll improve,” Edge said with a warm smile, letting her go so she could turn back to the mirror.</p>
<p>Gumdrop looked herself over again, breathless. “This one,” she said decisively. “How much is it?”</p>
<p>“Sixty-five,” Edge said, then quickly added, “but I shall provide the five, since it exceeds your savings.”</p>
<p>“Are—Are you sure?” she asked, eyes wide as she looked at Edge in the mirror. “That doesn’t feel right, making you pay for it.”</p>
<p>“It can be a ‘loan’ like Quinacridone talked about. Please accept, if it doesn’t trouble you too much? It would be wonderful for us both to have our first choices of this new venture.”</p>
<p>Gumdrop considered it a moment, fiddling with the price tag. “I…I’d like that too, definitely. I promise I’ll take you out shopping as soon as I get my next allowance. Cross my heart. Or, um, cross my gem.”</p>
<p>Edge smiled. “I trust your word.” She pulled one of her remaining twenties from her gem and gave it to Gumdrop.</p>
<p>“Thank you.” She slipped the money into her own gem. “Is there anything you’d like to look at here before I buy this?”</p>
<p>“I don’t think so. Could we instead venture to the shop next door? Their wares seemed quite promising.”</p>
<p>“Of course!” Gumdrop turned so Edge could unzip the dress for her, beaming. “Actually, I’ve been thinking, do you remember that hair place that we passed earlier?”</p>
<p>Edge nodded.</p>
<p>“I don’t know if it would work since you’re not human, but what if you tried dyeing your hair? Then it could be any color you want!”</p>
<p>Her face lit up. “Any color? I can cloak myself in darkness?”</p>
<p>“Definitely! I’m not sure how much it costs though, should we check?”</p>
<p>“May we?”</p>
<p>“I’d love to.” Gumdrop caught Edge in another hug as she let the dress slip to her waist. “If it’s expensive, I’ll help pay for it next time.”</p>
<p>“I would be most grateful.” She scooped up the dress as Gumdrop stepped out of it, hanging it back up gently. “But first, let us purchase this so we may both feel at ease walking these vibrant halls.”</p>
<p>“That sounds perfect!”</p>
<p>As she put on the dress once again a few minutes later, crammed into a too-small bathroom stall with Edge, she’d never been happier. It was <em>hers</em> now. Something was hers. And not just anything, <em>this</em> thing that she’d chosen and that made her feel like she could take on anything in the universe.</p>
<p>“Shall we depart, Lady Gumdrop?” Edge asked gently after she’d paused in front of the mirrors for a few minutes.</p>
<p>“Lady?” she asked, surprised, turning to look at the other Pearl.</p>
<p>“A title seems befitting,” she said, a little embarrassed. “‘Lady’ is one of the appropriate ones for a princess, right?”</p>
<p>A pretty blush rose to Gumdrop’s cheeks. “I think so, but I’m not a princess…”</p>
<p>“You said you wished to be one, so I do not see any reason to postpone calling yourself as such.”</p>
<p>She smiled. “Well, if I’m Lady Gumdrop, then you get to be Lady Edge.” She laughed as Edge wrinkled her nose. “Because you’re sweet, even if you don’t want to look like a princess on the outside.”</p>
<p>“I suppose as long as there are no other implications, I am happy to accept it,” Edge agreed, blushing. “Though maybe I shall find a more suitable title in the future.”</p>
<p>Gumdrop nodded, slipping her hand into Edge’s again. “We’ll figure it out together.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. On Edge</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi again, and thank you for all the love you've shown to this fic, it means so much to me! &lt;3 It's Edge's turn this week, I hope you enjoy her story and clawrenceon's lovely art~</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
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</div><p>“Do you think this attire is suitable for our family meeting?”</p>
<p>Gumdrop turned from where she’d been leaning towards the mirror to apply her lip gloss, taking in Edge’s appearance. “Definitely!” she answered. “I haven’t seen you put that shirt with your jacket yet, it works really well.”</p>
<p>Edge blushed happily. “Thank you.”</p>
<p>The two of them both had more clothes now—not a lot, but enough that they could put together a handful of outfits instead of just one each. But even as she’d begun dressing herself in dark colors every day, Edge couldn’t get over the beautiful novelty of it. Her hair too, which had been colored a deep black for about two weeks now and still made her smile at her own reflection. She finally felt like she was closer to whatever vague image resided in her head that embodied “herself.”</p>
<p>“Are you all set?” Gumdrop asked, coming over to join her. “We should probably head over now, or Dazzle will pout about us being late again.”</p>
<p>Edge smiled. “I would say we should prevent such a tragedy, but such a feat may be impossible considering Disc’s perpetual tardiness.”</p>
<p>She laughed, a pretty flowing sound that always made Edge’s gem go pleasantly warm.</p>
<p>“I’m ready,” she added, offering Gumdrop her arm to hold as they headed out of the room. It was a short trip to Dazzle’s room, where they almost always had their family meetings—a fancy title for a casual occasion of having all the projector Pearls in one place.</p>
<p>“We’re here!” Gumdrop announced as they went through the open door. “Hi!”</p>
<p>“Hi!” Dazzle greeted them, coming over to welcome them both with a hug. “You didn’t happen to run into Disc on your way here, did you?”</p>
<p>“The way was short, as is our time in this fragile universe,” Edge replied, hiding a smile.</p>
<p>Dazzle gave her a rather confused head tilt before processing what she meant. “Oh, right. I was just thinking since you pass her room on the way…”</p>
<p>“Sorry, her door was closed,” Gumdrop said apologetically. “Would you like us to go get her?”</p>
<p>“No, no, I’ll go. You two should go get comfortable. I thought today we might plan out a few family trips and such, so feel free to start brainstorming with everyone.”</p>
<p>“That sounds great!”</p>
<p>Edge could tell Dazzle was looking at her when she said that, though she quickly redirected her own attention to the rest of the group. Montage and Gesso were showing Ocu and Screenie something in another of their movie magazines.</p>
<p>“Edge?” Dazzle prompted her, and she realized she should have said something along with Gumdrop’s cheerful response. “Make sure to let us know if there’s something you want to do, okay?”</p>
<p>“Okay,” she said quickly, wishing Dazzle would stop asking her things like that. It was the second time this week. “Shall we join our friends, my lady?” she asked Gumdrop, in hopes that would prompt Dazzle to go get Disc and forget about Edge. Disc hadn’t picked anything to do yet either, to her knowledge, so at least she wasn’t the only one.</p>
<p>Dazzle took the cue, excusing herself with a slightly worried “Be right back.”</p>
<p>“Gumdrop, you look so pretty today,” Screenie greeted her as they came over.</p>
<p>“Thank you!” Gumdrop sat down gracefully beside the rest of the group, Edge just a split second behind her. “I found these bracelets this weekend at the mall, and I thought they matched just perfectly.”</p>
<p>“They do,” Gesso said with a smile. “And you too, Edge. Your outfit goes together really well.”</p>
<p>“It’s not like you can mismatch black and black,” Montage pointed out.</p>
<p>Edge smiled. “I am indeed grateful for the ease with which I can assemble my attire.” It had taken a little while to get used to Montage’s bluntness, but now she understood the other Pearl didn’t mean any harm when she made those kinds of comments. “So what locations have inspired your creativity as of late?” she asked curiously, glancing down at the magazine.</p>
<p>“Well, we were actually just looking at movie reviews right now,” Gesso said. “We don’t want to get too ahead of ourselves when we don’t even have equipment yet.”</p>
<p>“Besides, there’s lots to learn from the human movies, even the ones that are garbage,” Montage added with a shrug.</p>
<p>“Ah. Are there any less garbage ones that might suit Lady Gumdrop’s tastes?”</p>
<p>“No new princess ones, sorry,” Gesso answered. “I think in a few months? But I’ve found some older ones I think you might like, Gumdrop.”</p>
<p>“Really? Thank you so much, I’d love to hear about them.”</p>
<p>“Sure.”</p>
<p>As the two of them started discussing movies, Ocu scooted a little closer to Edge. “I like your rings,” she said softly. “Those are new, right?”</p>
<p>“They are,” Edge said, brightening as she extended her hand for Ocu to get a better look. “Lady Gumdrop discovered them this weekend, they’re a set.”</p>
<p>“Wow, I didn’t know they came like that. Is it alright if I hold one?” She pointed to the silvery intricate flower on Edge’s ring finger.</p>
<p>“Of course you can.” She slid it off and handed it over easily. “It would suit your form quite well too, if you would like to borrow it on occasion.”</p>
<p>“Oh!” Ocu looked a little startled at the offer. “That’s okay, I just like seeing the little details and how they can match all different sorts of outfits. But thank you.”</p>
<p>“You’re welcome.”</p>
<p>“And, um…” She looked a little confused as she looked back up at Edge. “Is the dripping supposed to happen?”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“Your hair?”</p>
<p>Edge looked down, touching the ends of her hair and immediately finding black staining her fingers. “Oh. No, this is not an intentional spreading of darkness.”</p>
<p>“That dye stuff you used must be coming out,” Montage said, standing up. “I’ll get some towels.”</p>
<p>“Is that how dye works?” Screenie asked curiously, coming over to gather up Edge’s hair gently and hold it to keep it from dripping too much. “I hope your outfit’s alright, I don’t think very much has come out yet.”</p>
<p>“Thank you,” she said gratefully, a bit embarrassed. “We were unsure how such material would take to a gem’s form, it seems a few weeks must be the limit before it begins to malfunction…” She could see Gumdrop wanted to come over and help too, but waved her back gently. “I would not wish to ruin the lighter tones of your dress with such darkness.”</p>
<p>“Okay,” she said worriedly. “It doesn’t hurt, does it?”</p>
<p>“No, I was unaware until Ocu informed me of the occurrence.” She glanced back to the black Pearl. “Thank you.”</p>
<p>Ocu nodded. “I’m sorry it wasn’t permanent the way you wanted.”</p>
<p>“It’s alright, I—”</p>
<p>“Oh my stars, what happened?” Dazzle gasped, coming back in with a semi-curious Disc behind her.</p>
<p>“Edgy’s hair dye started unsticking itself!” Gumdrop explained. “Or, well, however that works. We’ll just have to redo it more often now that we know.”</p>
<p>“Oh, I see. Are you alright?”</p>
<p>“I am unharmed,” Edge reassured Dazzle as she came to sit just in front of her.</p>
<p>“Here’s the towels,” Montage announced, dropping a pile on the ground.</p>
<p>“Thanks!” Screenie said, grabbing one and starting to wrap it around Edge’s head to contain all the dye. “We’ll put a couple on to be safe, and then you can get yourself changed without having to worry about the dripping!”</p>
<p>“I’ll help you rinse it out,” Gumdrop agreed with a smile.</p>
<p>“Thank you, my lady. And thank you, Screenie.”</p>
<p>“It’s no trouble,” she replied brightly, securing the towels. “Go on, we’ll wait for you two to get back before we do anything exciting.”</p>
<p>“Definitely,” Dazzle agreed, giving Edge’s arm a friendly squeeze. “No need to rush.”</p>
<p>“Thanks.”</p><hr/>
<p>After about twenty minutes in the shower with Gumdrop helping her rinse out all the black dye and then helping scrub it off her skin as well, Edge felt refreshed if a little disappointed. When the hair dye had worked that first time, she’d just assumed it was something that would last until whenever she needed to reform sometime in the future. But it could be redone, as Gumdrop reassured her multiple times, and it would be back to her favored black by this evening. Her gem had probably seen the foreign substance as something that needed to be cleaned, and had begun that process on its own when Edge hadn’t done anything about it.</p>
<p>For now, she stole a dark blue towel and wrapped it around her head to hold her wet hair. It made her gem feel a bit hot and stuffy beneath it, but it felt nicer than having the pink strands hanging limply around her shoulders.</p>
<p>“You don’t want to dry it?” Dazzle checked when they came back to her room.</p>
<p>“This will suffice,” Edge replied easily as she and Gumdrop sat down with everyone again. “I apologize for the inky shadows left on your cushioned bliss.”</p>
<p>Dazzle laughed a little, shaking her head.</p>
<p>“It’s alright, it only got on one of the pillows,” Disc said.</p>
<p>“A great relief.”</p>
<p>Gumdrop smiled, scooting closer to Edge so their shoulders could touch. “So what did we miss while we were gone?”</p>
<p>“Not much,” Gesso said softly. “Just talking about places we might like to go.”</p>
<p>“Dazzle wants you to pick the next one,” Montage added, her non-gem eye fixed on Edge.</p>
<p>“Well, everyone else has had a turn already, right?” Dazzle pointed out. “Disc picked while you were gone, so it’s only fair to give you a chance to choose next.”</p>
<p>Edge nodded, not wanting to seem ungrateful, but in reality her gem had gone cold. “What excursion has Disc chosen?” she asked lightly.</p>
<p>“Water park,” Disc said, sounding only mildly enthused about her own choice. “You sit in these round tube things and go on rides, it seemed interesting.”</p>
<p>“I look forward to this adventure then.”</p>
<p>“Me too, it seems like a lot of fun,” Dazzle said brightly.</p>
<p>“Yeah, hopefully so,” Disc said, smiling a bit.</p>
<p>“Anyway, that just leaves you, Edge. Feel free to suggest anything—it can be something similar to an activity we’ve already done or something completely new.”</p>
<p>“Oh. It’s okay, I don’t require such an outing,” she answered, making sure she smiled as she addressed Dazzle, even if she was too nervous to look her in the eyes. She’d known this was coming, but it wasn’t like she could avoid it without just avoiding Dazzle, and she didn’t want to do that. “I am quite happy existing in the presence of this radiant conglomeration of gems.”</p>
<p>“We—We are too,” Dazzle stammered, frowning slightly, “but surely there’s something you’d like to try or somewhere you want to see, right? It doesn’t have to be anything big, just…what are you interested in doing?”</p>
<p>“As I said, I do not have any specific destination in mind.”</p>
<p>“But…” Dazzle bit her lip. “Okay, but you should look through some of these travel magazines White loaned me. There’s lots of things to see, and you can just pick one that catches your eye.”</p>
<p>“I’m sure our companions have found plenty of suitable destinations already,” Edge said awkwardly.</p>
<p>“I’m asking <em>you</em>.”</p>
<p>There was a little bit of a demanding edge to Dazzle’s voice now that Edge wasn’t used to. Her fingers curled around the ends of her sleeves tightly. “Sorry.”</p>
<p>There was a pause, and then Dazzle let out a soft sigh. “No, <em>I’m</em> sorry. Never mind.”</p>
<p>Gumdrop squeezed Edge’s arm gently, but for once it wasn’t very reassuring.</p>
<p>“Are we…doing something wrong?” Dazzle asked quietly. “You’re always happy to go shopping with Gumdrop, but you’ve never asked the rest of us to do anything with you. And—And you don’t have to! That’s not what I’m saying. But I don’t understand it.”</p>
<p>“You haven’t done anything wrong,” Edge said, clearing her throat when her voice threatened to crack. “May I be excused?”</p>
<p>“What? O-Of course, you don’t need permission.”</p>
<p>Edge nodded.</p>
<p>“Do you want me to come with you?” Gumdrop asked worriedly as Edge stood up.</p>
<p>“No thank you, my lady. Perhaps later.”</p>
<p>“Okay.” She let Edge go, and Edge wished for a moment she hadn’t turned her down.</p>
<p>And wished she hadn’t hurt Dazzle. She’d never meant to make it seem like she was distancing herself from the rest of the group. Was that how it seemed? She really loved their company, the location had never mattered to her. Why did it matter so much to Dazzle that she hadn’t picked somewhere? Did it matter to all of them and she’d unintentionally been upsetting them this whole time? But if she picked, then…</p>
<p>Edge found herself back in her room before she’d even processed that she’d left, and she curled up in bed and dragged the sheets up over her head.</p><hr/>
<p>"Edgy?" She wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but Gumdrop's voice was a welcome surprise.</p>
<p>"Come in, my lady!" Edge called back, pushing herself upright and combing her mostly-dry hair into place with her fingers. A little of the heaviness that had settled in her gem began to lift.</p>
<p>"Dazzle's with me, is it okay if she comes in too?" Gumdrop asked.</p>
<p>Oh. Edge swallowed hard, knowing why the other Pearl had come along. But she'd have to talk to Dazzle sooner or later, and there was only so much she could put it off. "Sure," she answered.</p>
<p>"Thanks, Edgy!"</p>
<p>The door slid open immediately at Gumdrop's request and she and Dazzle came in. Gumdrop rushed over to give Edge an almost painfully tight hug, jumping onto the bed beside her. Dazzle, more reserved, lingered just inside the door.</p>
<p>"Hey," Edge greeted her when Gumdrop let go.</p>
<p>"Hi. Um, I guess there's not much point in beating around the bush, so...could we talk about things, please?"</p>
<p>"There are so many things in this universe that attempting to speak of all of them would be an impossible task."</p>
<p>Dazzle just looked at her for a moment, brow furrowed. "Edge, I'm being serious."</p>
<p>"Sorry," she mumbled, letting her hair fall forward. "Yeah, we can talk." She'd been trying to get Dazzle to give her the same confused smile she always did, but worry had taken over any vestige of humor in her expression.</p>
<p>"Thanks." Dazzle hesitated. "Could you tell me why you keep trying to skip your turn to pick activities?"</p>
<p>"I don't really have anything I want to do."</p>
<p>"Nothing?"</p>
<p>Edge nodded, her throat tight. Gumdrop seemed to notice her discomfort and held onto her snugly.</p>
<p>"It doesn't have to be anything big. What about shopping?" Dazzle suggested. "You and Gumdrop could show us around the mall.”</p>
<p>"Yeah...?"</p>
<p>"I understand if that's something you want to do with just the two of you, but it might be fun if we all went together just once."</p>
<p>Edge couldn't think how that would be fun at all. Some of them hated shopping, and the rest would probably be indifferent—including Dazzle herself.</p>
<p>"No?" Dazzle asked when Edge didn't respond. "Then something else?"</p>
<p>"I don't want to do something else," Edge said.</p>
<p>"Okay." Dazzle looked slightly crestfallen, but she pressed on. "Okay, that's what I'm trying to understand."</p>
<p>Understand?</p>
<p>"Edgy," Gumdrop said beside her, "everybody's really worried about you."</p>
<p>"Th-They are?" she asked, surprised.</p>
<p>"Mm-hm. Even before today, you always look really scared when Dazzle asks you to choose something and—and I think I know why, but they don't. And none of us want you to feel scared about talking about things you like."</p>
<p>Edge nodded slightly, fidgeting with the sleeves of her jacket.</p>
<p>"Exactly," Dazzle said quietly. "I know sometimes we don't get it, but that doesn't mean we don't want you to tell us about your interests anyway. You always listen to us."</p>
<p>"I-I know." Her eyes felt hot again, but she didn't want to cry. "I know that, but I still don't want to pick."</p>
<p>"Why not?"</p>
<p>Edge shook her head, glancing sideways at Gumdrop.</p>
<p>"It's okay," she encouraged her.</p>
<p>"I don't...want to make you do something you don't like," she said quietly, not quite able to look at Dazzle and so instead focusing on the hand Gumdrop had placed on her knee. "I don't want any of you to resent me."</p>
<p>"Resent you?" Dazzle repeated. "We wouldn't resent you."</p>
<p>"But you would." Edge clenched her hands into fists under her sleeves. "If I force you to keep doing things you don't like, then..."</p>
<p>There was a long silence, Gumdrop's hand gripping her tight as Dazzle slowly approached the bed, kneeling down in front of Edge.</p>
<p>"Just like your owner did to you?" Dazzle asked softly, brushing her knuckles against one of the tears in Edge's black jeans, where a hint of brighter color peeked through.</p>
<p>Edge flinched. "Yeah."</p>
<p>"I'm sorry."</p>
<p>"It's over now." She lifted one shoulder in an uncertain shrug. "Now I get to be what I want and each of you gets to be what you want. So..."</p>
<p>Dazzle nodded.</p>
<p>"Yeah," she said quietly, unsure what else to say.</p>
<p>"Edgy?" Gumdrop said, settling her hand on her arm instead. "Can I ask you something?"</p>
<p>"Of course, my lady."</p>
<p>"Do you resent us when we pick?" she asked. "Do you resent going to cute places with me, or furniture stores with Screenie, or movies with Montage, or any of the other things we've tried?"</p>
<p>"No. That's..." Edge bit her lip. "I like spending time with everyone. It doesn't really matter what we're doing."</p>
<p>Gumdrop nodded, smiling.</p>
<p>"Exactly," Dazzle said, relieved. "Why wouldn't that apply to you too?"</p>
<p>Why...?</p>
<p>"We all feel like that, so it's okay to ask us to do something with you even when you don't know if we'll all enjoy it."</p>
<p>"But..."</p>
<p>Dazzle waited patiently, looking up at her.</p>
<p>"That might change and I don't want to risk it," Edge whispered. "I don't want to be on my own again."</p>
<p>"You won't be on your own, Edgy," Gumdrop said gently. "We're all family now, right?"</p>
<p>"I know."</p>
<p>"And yes, we're all really different," Dazzle added softly, "and we like different things, but we still want to see the things that make you happy. Even if we tease sometimes, we really do love you, Edge. We love that you know what you want."</p>
<p>"Really?" Her voice cracked, tears beginning to seep from the corners of her eyes.</p>
<p>"Really," she said. "We don't have to like everything you like or vice versa. No one's going to resent you for that. I promise."</p>
<p>Edge hiccupped, trying to swallow the sobs rising in her throat. "Thanks."</p>
<p>Dazzle nodded, smiling gently.</p>
<p>"Y-You'll tell me if you don't like things? You'll tell me so I won't ask you to do them again?"</p>
<p>"We will."</p>
<p>She took a deep, shaky breath. "Okay."</p>
<p>"Okay." Dazzle rose from the floor and came to sit on her other side on the bed. "When you think of something, you can tell us. Or just me, if that's easier. Or Gumdrop."</p>
<p>"Yeah, whatever is best for you, Edgy," Gumdrop agreed, half-hugging her. "Okay?"</p>
<p>"'Kay."</p>
<p>Dazzle smiled, lighting up the black room in a soft glow as she squeezed Edge's hand. "Thank you for telling me."</p>
<p>Edge nodded slowly, her own fingers tightening minutely around Dazzle's. "Sorry I made you worry."</p>
<p>"That's alright. I’m sorry I kept pushing you to answer."</p>
<p>“It’s okay.” She glanced over shyly. “And, um, if you ever want to come shopping with us, you can. If that’s fun for you.”</p>
<p>“It’s always fun to spend time with you,” Dazzle said warmly. “How about you invite me once you’ve had some time to get used to the idea?”</p>
<p>“Sure,” she said, relieved. “Thank you.”</p>
<p>“No problem.” She bumped Edge's shoulder lightly. "Would you like some projections?"</p>
<p>"Can any other light truly pierce this blissful abyss?"</p>
<p>"...I have no idea."</p>
<p>Edge smiled as Gumdrop giggled beside them. "That was a yes."</p>
<p>"Oh, alright," Dazzle laughed, clearly baffled. "The usual?"</p>
<p>"That'd be great."</p>
<p>Dazzle nodded, laying back on Edge's bed so she could project across the full ceiling. A kaleidoscope of colors was splashed across it, all darker tones but still bright enough to be seen against the pure black. Edge glanced at Dazzle, receiving a small nod, and then reached over carefully, hand hovering about a foot above her gem to cast shadowy shapes in Dazzle's projections.</p>
<p>The first time she'd done this, she hadn't been sure if Dazzle would be okay with it. But the other Pearl's eyes had lit up in genuine fascination at the suggestion, and the same emotion shone in her eyes now. It was fun, interacting and adding this other layer on top without taking away from Dazzle's own creativity. Edge had started out simple, just ghosting her fingers through the projections, but now she'd begun to try and make easy shapes with her hands—circles and squares and triangles. Now she tried to make stars, which was a little more difficult, but Gumdrop helped out.</p>
<p>She'd never mentioned it to Dazzle, but these felt more like her own projections than the light she could create from her gem. She wasn't able to change colors like Dazzle could, she wasn't made for that, but this allowed her a little of that freedom all the same.</p>
<p>"Dazzle?" She didn't respond at first, and Edge had to repeat her name. "Dazzle?"</p>
<p>"Oh, yes, sorry. What?"</p>
<p>"I, um, had one thing I sort of wanted to try."</p>
<p>"Yeah?" Dazzle turned her head to look at Edge. "What is it?"</p>
<p>Edge's throat felt tight, the words catching uncomfortably when her lips refused to move for a few seconds.</p>
<p>"It's okay, Edgy," Gumdrop reminded her. Her fingers smoothed through Edge's hair gently. "Take your time."</p>
<p>So she did, letting herself focus on the lights and Gumdrop's warm, repetitive touch. Dazzle didn't seem to mind the silence, just went back to staring up at her own projections with a blank expression.</p>
<p>"Would...Would going to a concert be alright?" Edge asked finally. She could feel her hands shaking, so she pulled them back away from the projections and wedged them under her legs.</p>
<p>"A concert," Dazzle repeated with a smile. "Yeah, we can do that. Is there a particular one you wanted to go to?"</p>
<p>"N-No, just a concert. It doesn't have to be an expensive one or anything; I don't want to take away money from our Disney fund."</p>
<p>"Oh, don't worry about that," Gumdrop said immediately. "I want to make sure you get to do something too!"</p>
<p>"Thanks, but..." Edge blushed. "There's free concerts, I think. I talked to Steven's dad about it once. And—And if I like the first one, then I can go to more later."</p>
<p>"Only if you're sure," Dazzle said softly. "It's not any trouble to get the money together if there's another one that you'd prefer, okay?"</p>
<p>Edge shook her head. "Not for the first time," she said. "I'm sure."</p>
<p>"Okay," she agreed. "And I'm sure at least one of us will be happy to go with you to a second one if you end up liking it."</p>
<p>"Like me!" Gumdrop volunteered. "I'll take you to all the concerts in the world, Edgy!"</p>
<p>She couldn't help but smile at that. "If our meager resources don't become depleted from trips to the lands of your dreams, they shall definitely be depleted by such a task as that."</p>
<p>"And it'll be worth it!"</p>
<p>"Most certainly, my lady." Edge's face was warm, Gumdrop having taken her arm and nuzzled up against it comfortably.</p>
<p>Dazzle, still lying down, had a relieved smile on her face. "I hope you love it that much," she said warmly. "Would you like me to talk to Greg about finding one, or would you like to do it yourself?"</p>
<p>"Maybe we could all go together?" Edge suggested shyly.</p>
<p>"All of us?" Dazzle asked, surprised.</p>
<p>"Or not."</p>
<p>"No, no, that's a great idea," she reassured her. "We can go visit with Greg, find out about your concert, and then explore Beach City a little. I think Montage and Gesso still need some good filming locations for the movie they're putting together."</p>
<p>"Okay." Edge was glad there was someone else who wanted to go to Earth anyway. "Let us take on this quest into the unknown."</p>
<p>Dazzle just shook her head, smiling. "Sure. Come here?" She beckoned for Edge to lie down as well.</p>
<p>Edge fell backwards, letting herself relax beside Dazzle. "What for?"</p>
<p>"Just a hug." Dazzle rolled over lazily to hold onto her, arm looping over Edge's midsection.</p>
<p>"Me too!" Gumdrop said, lying down to snuggle up against Edge as well. "Good job, Edgy."</p>
<p>"Thanks."</p>
<p>After a few moments, Dazzle let go to continue her projections, face settling into a serene almost-smile, and Gumdrop moved to lay perpendicular with her head on Edge's stomach, and maybe...maybe it was okay to be excited instead of scared. Edge hoped so.</p>
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